Pakistani。 Out of thirty students only three were white。
〃That's right；〃 Sanders said to me later； as we walked down the hallway toward his laboratory。 〃A class like Physics 101 doesn't attract Americans。 It's been that way for years。 Industry can't find them； either。 We would be up shit creek if we didn't have the Orientals and Indians who e here to get doctorates in math and engineering； and then work for American panies。〃
We continued down some stairs； and turned left。 We were in a basement passageway。 Sanders walked quickly。
〃But the trouble is； it's changing；〃 he continued。 〃My Asian students are starting to go home。 Koreans are going back to Korea。 Taiwanese the same。 Even Indians are returning home。 The standard of living is going up in their countries； and there's more opportunity back home now。 Some of these foreign countries have large numbers of well…trained people。〃 He led me briskly down a flight of stairs。 〃Do you know what city has the highest number of Ph。D。's per capita in the world？〃
〃Boston？〃
〃Seoul； Korea。 Think about that as we rocket into the twenty…first century。〃
Now we were going down another corridor。 Then briefly outside； into sunlight； down a covered walkway； and back into another building。 Sanders kept glancing back over his shoulder； as if he was afraid of losing me。 But he never stopped talking。
〃And with foreign students going home； we don't have enough engineers to do American research。 To create new American technology。 It's a simple balance sheet。 Not enough trained people。 Even big panies like IBM are starting to have trouble。 Trained people simply don't exist。 Watch the door。〃
The door swung back toward me。 I went through。 I said； 〃But if there are all these high…tech job opportunities； won't they begin to attract students？〃
〃Not like investment banking。 Or law。〃 Sanders laughed。 〃America may lack engineers and scientists； but we lead the world in the production of lawyers。 America has half the lawyers in the entire world。 Think of that。〃 He shook his head。
〃We have four percent of the world population。 We have eighteen percent of the world economy。 But we have fifty percent of the lawyers。 And thirty…five thousand more every year； pouring out of the schools。 That's where our productivity's directed。 That's where our national focus is。 Half our TV shows are about lawyers。 America has bee Land of Lawyers。 Everybody suing。 Everybody disputing。 Everybody in court。 After all； three quarters of a million American lawyers have to do something。 They have to make their three hundred thousand a year。 Other countries think we're crazy。〃
He unlocked a door。 I saw a sign that said ADVANCED IMAGING LABORATORY in hand…painted lettering； and an arrow。 Sanders led me down a long basement hallway。
〃Even our brightest kids are badly educated。 The best American kids now rank twelfth in the world； after the industrialized countries of Asia and Europe。 And that's our top students。 At the bottom； it's worse。 One…third of high school graduates can't read a bus schedule。 They're illiterate。〃
We came to the end of the hallway； and turned right。 〃And the kids I see are lazy。 Nobody wants to work。 I teach physics。 It takes years to master。 But all the kids want to dress like Charlie Sheen and make a million dollars before they're twenty…eight。 The only way you can make that kind of money is in law； investment banking； Wall Street。 Places where the game is paper profits； something for nothing。 But that's what the kids want to do； these days。〃
〃Maybe at U。S。C。〃
〃Trust me。 Everywhere。 They all watch television。〃
He swung another door open。 Still another corridor。 This one smelled moldy； damp。
〃I know； I know。 I'm old…fashioned；〃 Sanders said。 〃I still believe that every human being stands for something。 You stand for something。 I stand for something。 Just being on this planet； wearing the clothes we wear； doing the work we do； we each stand for something。 And in this little corner of the world；〃 he said； 〃we stand for cutting the crap。 We analyze network news and see where they have been fucking around with the tape。 We analyze TV mercials and show where the tricks are… 〃
Sanders suddenly stopped。
〃What's the matter？〃
〃Wasn't there someone else？〃 he said。 〃Didn't you e here with someone else？〃
〃No。 Just me。〃
〃Oh； good。〃 Sanders continued on at his same breakneck pace。 〃I always worry about losing people down here。 Ah； okay。 Here we are。 The lab。 Good。 This door is just where I left it。〃
With a flourish； he threw the door open。 I stared at the room； shocked。
〃I know it doesn't look like much；〃 Sanders said。 That； I thought； was a serious understatement。
I was looking at a basement space with rusty pipes and fittings hanging down from the ceiling。 The green linoleum on the floor curled up in several places to expose concrete beneath。 Arranged around the room were battered wooden tables； each heaped with equipment； and drooping wires down the sides。 At each table； a student sat facing monitors。 In several places； water plinked into buckets on the floor。 Sanders said； 〃The only space we could get was here in the basement； and we don't have the money to put in little amenities like a ceiling。 Never mind； doesn't matter。 Just watch your head。〃
He moved forward into the room。 I am about a hundred and eighty centimeters tall； not quite six feet； and I had to crouch to enter the room。 From somewhere in the ceiling above； I heard a harsh rasping sizzle。
〃Skaters；〃 Sanders explained。
〃Sorry？〃
〃We're underneath the ice rink。 You get used to it。 Actually； it's not bad now。 When they have hockey practice in the afternoon； then it's a bit noisy。〃
We moved deeper into the room。 I felt like I was in a submarine。 I glanced at the students at their workstations。 They were all intent on their work； nobody looked up as we passed。 Sanders said； 〃What kind of tape do you want to duplicate？〃
〃Eight…millimeter Japanese。 Security tape。 It might be difficult。〃
〃Difficult？ I doubt that very much；〃 Sanders said。 〃You know； back in my youth； I wrote most of the early video image…enhancement algorithms。 You know； despeckling and inversion and edge tracing。 That stuff。 The Sanders algorithms were the ones everybody used。 I was a graduate student at Cal Tech then。 I worked at JPL in my spare time。 No； no； we can do it。〃
I handed him a tape。 He looked at it。 〃Cute little bugger。〃
I said； 〃What happened？ To all your algorithms？〃
〃There was no mercial use for them；〃 he said。 〃Back in the eighties； American panies like RCA and GE got out of mercial electronics entirely。 My image enhancement programs didn't have much use in America。〃 He shrugged。 〃So I tried to sell them to Sony； in Japan。〃
〃And？〃
〃The Japanese had already patented the products。 In Japan。〃
〃You mean they already had the algorithms？〃
〃No。 They just had patents。 In Japan； patenting is a form of war。 The Japanese patent like crazy。 And they have a strange system。 It takes eight years to get a patent in Japan； but your application is made public after eighteen months； after which royalties are moot。 And of course Japan doesn't have reciprocal licensing agreements with America。 It's one of the ways they keep their edge。
〃Anyway； when I got to Japan I found Sony and Hitachi had some related patents and they had done what is called 'patent flooding。' Meaning they covered possible related uses。 They didn't have the rights to use my algorithms … but I discovered I didn't have the rights； either。 Because they had already patented the use of my invention。〃 He shrugged。 〃It's plicated to explain。 Anyway； that's ancient history。 By now the Japanese have devised much more plicated video software； far surpassing anything we have。 They're years ahead of us now。 But we struggle along in this lab。 Ah。 Just the person we need。 Dan。 Are you busy？〃
A young woman looked up from the puter console。 Large eyes； horn…rim glasses； dark hair。 Her face was partially blocked by the ceiling pipes。
〃You're not Dan；〃 Sanders said； sounding surprised。 〃Where's Dan； Theresa？〃
〃Picking up a midterm；〃 Theresa said。 〃I'm just helping run the real…time progressions。 They're finishing now。〃 I had the impressio