UNESCO awards Mexican specialist for popularizing science

[News_Editor]

UNESCO awards Mexican specialist for popularizing science

2012-01-04 22:10:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

BHUBANESWAR, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- A Mexican physiologist and neurobiologist has won a United Nations (UN) science promotion award for his work on sleep, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced.

The 2011 UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science was officially awarded to René Raúl Drucker Colín, who holds a degree in psychology and a doctorate in medicine, at a ceremony in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

Professor Drucker Colín is best known for his work in identifying the role played by neurotransmitters during sleep and has been described by UNESCO as "an ardent promoter of science."

A regular writer for La Jornada, a daily Mexican newspaper, and a regular participant on the science programs of Televisa, a national television broadcaster, Drucker Colín received a check for $20,000, the silver UNESCO-Albert Einstein medal and a certificate at Wednesday's ceremony, which took place during the Indian Science Congress.

The biennial award was created in 1951 by Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, on the recommendation of an international jury. The prize is jointly funded by the Kalinga Foundation and the Government of the Indian state of Orissa, of which Bhubaneswar is the capital.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-04

[maidu]

Thailand needs people like that. Science is under-rated in Thailand. As far as I know there is nothing innovative going on with scientific innovative study or inventions here. I could make a list of 30 projects that could be investigated/pursued by Thai scientists (oxymoron?).

Congrats to Ms Colin from Mexico. May the world get many more like her - to head youngsters away from superstition and metaphysics (which is rife worldwide) .....towards the endlessly fascinating worlds of science and nature.

metaphysics is to science what the tooth fairy is to galaxies. Currently, Thai consciousness is hobbled by belief in pee (ghosts) and other silliness.

[Credo]

I agree with you. But until the country moves away from actually believing prophecies from a long-dead child and prosecuting his aged dad, I don't think Thailand considers science as cutting edge.

If we can convince them science can give the winning lottery numbers, then there is a chance.