February 15, 2019
As I’ve traveled from London to Cyprus and now to Beirut, my conversations with scientists have been dominated by concerns about the possible second shutdown of the US government and by discussions about the role of science in the places I have been visiting. Here is a brief summary of the various things I’ve been learning.
London. I serve on the Scientific Advisory Board of the large and still growing Francis Crick Institute, across the street from St. Pancras Station in central London. (I described this gigantic biomedical research facility in a blog to MHC360 students in 2017 and you can see a picture of it in that blog, which is preserved, I hope, on our web site.) The Institute is doing well from many perspectives, but (like many science-based organizations in the United Kingdom) it is apprehensive about the consequences of Brexit, especially an unplanned Brexit that lacks protection for science. That outcome now seems likely, and no one is sure how the funds that Britain (and specifically the Crick Institute) receives from the European Union will be replaced. We will briefly discuss this situation and its implications in class.
Cyprus. The Cyprus Institute was established in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, several years ago to conduct scientific work that is relevant to countries in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea. (These include archeology, environmental sciences, computer sciences, and some others.) A new President, who studies malaria and insect vectors of disease, has just been named, so it is likely that the Institute will now expand into the life sciences. That is an interesting prospect, given the importance of biology for the protection of marine resources, improved agricultural practices, and the advancement of health in the region, and I was able to discuss the situation with him in London where he currently works. I would be happy to talk about these developments during forthcoming classes.
Beirut. Despite the instability in this region over the past seventy years—including uncertain boundaries established with Israel in the late 1940’s, a civil war (from 1975 to 1992), bombing of the southern region by Israel in 2006, and the arrival of many Palestinian refugees long ago and (more recently) from a troubled Syria—life in this beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast seems to be good. I am giving lectures and visiting with students and faculty at the American University of Beirut (AUB), one of a string of American universities in the Middle East—this one founded in 1866 and famous for the quality of its education, the beauty of its campus, and the prominence of its graduates in many fields, including science. My lectures have addressed aspects of scientific careers that we are also discussing in MHC360 and some recent developments in cancer research. I’ve also had a chance to visit some remarkable historical sites, such as the large Roman temples in Balbaak. (If you’ve never seen pictures of Balbaak, I encourage you to look for some on the Web.) Amazingly, we had to drive over snowy mountain passes, after leaving this mild coastal city to get there!
Until next Wednesday!
Leave a Reply