May 2023 — Т-инвариант / T-invariant

Hypersound silence. How scientists become the prey of the FSB

Three physicists were arrested in so called "Novosibirsk case". It wasn’t the first time. Previously, four scientists were also accused of treason in different years. All of the scientists accused in all these cases participated in the projects of the seventh framework program of the European Union "TransHyBerian" (coordinator — Von Karman Institute of Hydrodynamics, Belgium). However, the interlocutors and sources of T-invariant suggest that the contacts of scientists with China and Iran are only an excuse, not the reason for the arrests.

Chronicles of persecution of scientists

Alexandra Arkhipova

Date of incident: May 26, 2023
Type of violation: declared as a foreign agent
Institution: independent researcher
Summary: The message from the Ministry of Justice says: “A.S. Arkhipova in cooperation with foreign agents took part in the production of some certain materials and participated in the distribution of these materials to an unlimited number of people. She disseminated false information about the activities of government bodies of the Russian Federation and the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. She opposed the special military operation in Ukraine”.

Sources:: Interfax, FB Ivan Kurilla, E1.

Chronicles of persecution of scientists

Sergey Chernyshov

Date of incident: May 26, 2023
Type of violation: recognition by a foreign agent, dismissal
Institution: Novosibirsk Novocollege

Summary: On May 26, college director Sergey Chernyshov was recognized as a foreign agent. The main reason is the refusal to hold "Conversations about the Important" in the college. For some time he remained the director. As Chernyshov wrote in his VK, a foreign agent cannot teach, but he can organize the learning process, that is, he can work as a director. But this state did not last long - on June 15, Chernyshov left the post of director of the New College.

Sources: Siberia.Realities, VK by Sergey Chernyshov (posts on May 26 and June 15)

«In matters of climate, Russia cannot be removed from the globe»

The military-industrial complex is one of the dirtiest industries in terms of its impact on climate and the environment, even in peacetime. It is especially harmful to the planet during active combat operations. Why was Russia not excluded from the global climate process after February 24, 2022? Climate policy experts Marianna Poberezhskaya and Olga Dobrovidova explain.

Chronicles of persecution of scientists

Mordovian State University

Date of incident: May 22, 2023
Type of violation: forced voting
Institution: Mordovia State University

Synopsis: Rector Dmitry Glushko forced students of Mordovian State University to vote for him in the United Russia primaries. The demands were distributed through the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law, Irina Ginzburg. Glushko plans to become a member of the regional parliament.

Source: telegram channel SOTA

War as a crisis of rationality

How science helps resist the archaic, explains Eugene Koonin, Senior Investigator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

They will not be in power forever

A quota set by the Czech government for the reception of Russian and Belarusian dissidents is not even half used during the year. Czech analysts suggest ways to improve the program's efficiency, arguing that the new scholars and journalists are valuable to the country and will help restore democracy after Eastern European dictatorships.

Chronicles of persecution of scientists

Natalia Podolyak

Date of incident: May 11, 2023
Type of violation: dismissal
Institution: Siberian Institute of Business, Management and Psychology

Brief: Teacher and activist Natalia Podolyak was fired from the Siberian Institute of Business, Management and Psychology, where she ran a sports club. The motivational part of the order states that the dismissal was caused by violations of the law on countering extremism and violations of labor duties. Earlier, Natalia Podolyak was fined for discrediting the Russian army in connection with her comment that the Russian military in Ukraine is fighting "on foreign soil." In addition, in 2020 she was sentenced to 10 days for “insulting the police.” According to Podolyak, she had no disciplinary sanctions for her work.

Sources: Radio Liberty, Natalia's FB post Podolyak (order of dismissal)

Irina Savelieva: «You should have seen the world outside your hut»

Irina Savelieva, former director and one of the founders of the A.V. Poletaev Institute for Humanitarian History and Theory Research at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, talks about the rise, heyday and end of the famous institute, the impact factor, the «5-100» program and the academic kitchen of the Higher School of Economics.

Global Warming and Political Cold

The past year brought a series of weather anomalies: extreme heat and drought, high precipitation and flooding. This spring began with a heat wave in Spain. We asked climate experts Alexander Chernokulsky and Olga Dobrovidova about weather anomalies and asked them to assess the development of global warming as well as how Russia's position on international cooperation on a variety of climate-related issues affects the global environmental agenda.