Training school director apologizes for controversial paper

China Central Television

A training school director who published a paper claiming chickens were hatched from boiled eggs cried in front of cameras, saying she felt very guilty for issuing the paper without “rigorous experiments.”

Guo Ping, director of Chunlin Education in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, buried her face in her hands, weeping that she had never "told any lies her entire life."

Guo attracted national attention after she published two almost identical papers saying students she trained used “idea and energy transmission” to turn more than 40 boiled eggs back to raw eggs from which chicks were successfully hatched in a journal called Xiezhen Dili (写真地理), or Pictorial Geography, in March and June 2020.

Although she appeared remorseful in front of cameras, she still fervently believes in her cause.

“At first, I didn't believe it either, but it did happen ... I just repeated what had been done 30 years ago,” Guo told news portal The Paper, but she said she wouldn't show the experiment to the media.

Pictorial Geography has been suspended while it conducts a self-examination, the Press and Publication Bureau of Jilin Province, where the journal is based, said yesterday after dispatching a work group to investigate it, CCTV reported.

In another interview with The Beijing News, Guo admitted the paper published last June was written by others on her behalf. She said Pictorial Geography called her to ask if she wanted to publish any papers and charged 600-700 yuan (US$92-108) for each one.

Considering the price fair, Guo accepted the deal, according to the report.

Founded by Guo, Chunlin Education offers courses with mysterious names such as "super sensing omnipotent whole brain development," "quick reading using atomic energy waves" and “reading with eyes covered,” targeting teenage students.

A session of courses called “brain potential development” charged 16,800 yuan, the report said.

Zhengzhou authorities, including the human resources department and the market watchdog, are investigating Chunlin Education.