Alexandra Elbakyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexandra Elbakyan
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| Александра Элбакян | |
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Elbakyan in 2021
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| Born | 6 November 1988 |
| Nationality | Kazakhstani |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Sci-Hub |
| Movement | Open Access |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neural engineering, Computer science |
Alexandra Asanovna Elbakyan (born November 6, 1988) is a computer programmer from Kazakhstan. She created a website called Sci-Hub. This website gives free access to many research papers. Normally, you would have to pay for these papers. In 2018, a study showed that Sci-Hub had almost all scholarly articles.
People have called Elbakyan "Science's Pirate Queen." In 2016, the science magazine Nature named her one of the top ten "people who mattered" in science. She has been living in Russia since 2011.
Early Life
Alexandra Elbakyan was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on November 6, 1988. Her mother, who was also a computer programmer, raised her. Alexandra says she has mixed roots, including Armenian, Slavic, and Asian.
Alexandra started learning to program computers when she was 12 years old. She made web pages using HTML and later learned other programming languages. When she was 14, she found a way to get into her home internet provider's system. She found passwords and other information. She told the company about this, hoping to get a job, but they just cut off her internet.
When she was 16, Alexandra found a way to download books from a publisher's website for free. These books were about neuroscience and cost money to read. She wrote a special program to get around the payment system.
Her Studies
In 2009, Alexandra earned a degree in computer science from the Satbayev Kazakh National Technical University. She focused on information security, which is about keeping computer systems safe. For her final project, she studied how brainwaves could be used instead of passwords. During this time, she realized it was hard to get many academic articles she needed because her university did not have access to them. This problem later inspired her.
In 2010, Alexandra became interested in brain–computer interfaces. These are ways to connect brains directly to computers. She worked on a project at the University of Freiburg in Germany. Later, she had an internship in neuroscience in the United States. She also spoke at a conference about connecting human and machine minds.
From 2012 to 2014, she studied for a master's degree in Moscow. She later studied the history of science. In 2019, she earned a master's degree in linguistics from Saint Petersburg State University. Her studies focused on biblical languages.
About Sci-Hub
Alexandra Elbakyan created Sci-Hub in 2011 while living in Kazakhstan. She says Sci-Hub helps connect the minds of many researchers. It makes it easier for them to share information.
Some people see Sci-Hub as a great act of kindness, while others see it as a big crime. Elbakyan first made the website to quickly and easily get academic papers. She did not plan to make all science free at first.
In 2015, a company called Elsevier sued Sci-Hub in the US. Alexandra wrote a letter to the judge. She explained that she could not afford to pay for all the papers she needed for her research. So, she found a way to get them for free. She started Sci-Hub to help others who faced the same problem. She also said that many researchers believe scientific papers should be free for everyone.
The court ordered Sci-Hub to pay $15 million in damages. Because of these lawsuits, Alexandra has had to be careful about where she lives. Other companies and countries have also sued Sci-Hub. However, in 2023, a court in India did not block Sci-Hub. Also, a domain name for Sci-Hub that was taken away has now been given back.
Awards and Recognition
In December 2016, Nature magazine named Alexandra Elbakyan one of the 10 most important people in science that year. Many researchers who use Sci-Hub thank her in their papers.
People have called Elbakyan a hero for creating Sci-Hub. A Nobel Prize winner, Randy Schekman, called her a hero. Some have compared her to Aaron Swartz and Edward Snowden. Edward Snowden said Sci-Hub is one of the most important websites for scientists. She has also been called a modern-day "Robin Hood" and "Science's Pirate Queen."
Several animals and plants have been named after her:
- Idiogramma elbakyanae: A type of wasp found in 2017. Alexandra was not happy about this name. She said that publishers are the real "parasites," not Sci-Hub. But the scientist who named it said he supports Sci-Hub.
- Brachyplatystoma elbakyani: An extinct type of catfish found in 2020.
- Spigelia elbakyaniae: A type of flowering plant from Mexico found in 2020.
- Amphisbaena elbakyanae: A type of worm lizard found in 2021.
- Sibogasyrinx elbakyanae: A type of deep-sea snail found in 2021.
Elbakyan was nominated twice for the John Maddox Prize. Some researchers even say she deserves a Nobel Prize for her work. In 2023, she received an award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This award was for her important work in making sure technology helps freedom and new ideas.
Her Views
Alexandra Elbakyan strongly supports the open access movement. This idea means that scientific information should be free for everyone to read. She believes Sci-Hub is a true example of open access in science. She thinks science should not be hidden behind paywalls.
She sees herself as a "pirate" when it comes to online information. She believes that copyright laws stop people from sharing information and knowledge freely on the internet. In 2018, she asked Sci-Hub supporters to join a Pirate Party. These parties work to change copyright laws.
Elbakyan has said she is inspired by the idea that knowledge should be shared by everyone. She believes this is important for science to grow. She thinks that research articles are meant for sharing ideas in science. She feels that knowledge should belong to everyone, not just to companies.
She has also said that not having free access to knowledge goes against a United Nations rule. This rule says that everyone has the right to share in scientific progress and its benefits.
Works
- Elbakyan, Alexandra (2009) "Human EEG as a biometric feature in access control systems" Bachelor Thesis, Satbayev University.
- Elbakyan, Alexandra (2019) "Image of the Holy Spirit in Hebrew Bible texts" Master Thesis, Saint Petersburg State University.
See Also
In Spanish: Alexandra Elbakyan para niños
- Aaron Swartz
- Anna's Archive
- Copyright abolition
- ICanHazPDF
- Library Genesis
- Open Access
- Peter Sunde
- Z-Library
