http://mohammadreiza.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/a-nobel-laureate-lecture/

Mohammad Reiza 

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During my term with UNESCO Office Bangkok, I had the chance to attend a lecture on “Science as a basis for bridging between cultures and fostering peace and development”

This lecture was delivered by Prof. Roger D. Kornberg on 19 December 2008 in the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at 2 – 3.30 p.m. in the L.01 of Lecture Building on Rama VI Road, Phayathai, Bangkok.

This lecture is co-organized by BRIDGES, Dialogues towards a culture of peace, hosted through the International Peace Foundation; International Peace Foundation, network for the pro-motion of Peace; and Mahidol University, the wisdom of the land, on the celebration of commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the faculty of science, Mahidol University.

Some of the essences of the lecture cover the emphasis of biomedical science, culture, peace and development that highlight the use of biochemical mass destruction weapon, intolerant and aggressive behaviors.

Anyone can be anything they want to or what they dream of, sometimes through mysterious ways of life. Wilhelm Roentgen, for example, he was expelled from school at the age of 18. But after conducting a lot of personal experiments, he found one thing as the gift of the 20th century, which is X-rays, and for his achievement, he was the first person awarded Noble Laureate in Physics. Sometimes life guides and brings us through the road that we never expect it will destine us to an amazing discovery.

And the nature of discovery puts great attentions to the pursuit of fundamental principles, the product of untargeted research and that knowledge is the limiting factors of progress itself.

Science is international. The acquisition of knowledge, education will not suffice for addressing the societal problems, while basic science as a paradigm for solving societal problems. Both science and religion, according to Prof. Roger, seek to explain mysteries of life. Basic science is a literal bridge to understanding nature.

Basic science is a figurative bridge to the solution of societal problems, through the example of rationality and impartiality. Another point he emphasized was the power and importance of impression.  At the end of his lecture, he said “discovery is made by taking chances and risk not by making plans!”

There were some interesting words that I grasped in his lecture such as serendipity, notion, peculiar, obscure, offspring, demystify, engender, transmissible, oppression and repression.

During the Q&A session there were two things that stayed in my thought; first was that knowing his father was also Nobel Prize winner and that he himself doesn’t believe in God; two mind-bobbling facts of Prof. Roger, to my view.

Posted in UNESCO Office Bangkok.