MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine scientists plant sapling of Newton's tree to celebrate Researcher's Day

April 10 was Doctor Bernardo Houssay's birthdate

A sapling of Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree has been planted in Argentina's Science Park as part of the festivities marking the April 10 Researcher's Day held by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), the Ministry of Science, and the Science Cultural Center.

The specimen, of the Malus Domestica variety “Flower of Kent,” was donated by CNEA to CONICET. It was an authentic offshoot of Newton's apple tree planted at the Instituto Balseiro Campus (IB, CNEA-UNCuyo) in the city of Bariloche, from the East Malling Research Station in the county of Kent, United Kingdom.

CONICET President Ana Franchi said: “We have the sapling, which in time will be a bigger tree, and we hope to take care of it so that they can sit under the apple tree and come up with wonderful things, such as choosing a scientific career. There are lots and lots of young people in the country studying scientific careers, in institutes, úrsuing their doctorates in universities, with CONICET, CNEA scholarships, in all disciplines, you know, all the disciplines you can think of are here and can be developed.”

She also pointed out that Sir Isaac Newton “lived a long time ago and far away, but here we have thousands of scientists of great level, and we are waiting for you to join us. It can be history, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, and many more, the possibilities are many and diverse.”

CNEA President Adriana Serquis highlighted the activity that connected her with her time when she studied Physics and pointed out that “it is not by chance that CNEA is present on this special day since it is the first science and technology institution created in the country.”

Science Minister Daniel Filmus wished that the new plant will inspire future scientists in the country. “We must always recognize the work done by our scientists in our country and in the world. And how nice that we are remembering [Nobel Prize Laureate Doctor Bernardo] Houssay's birth. He used to say that rich countries are rich because they invest in science and technology ... Without science and technology there would be no sovereignty,” Filmus said.

Argentine celebrates the Day of the Scientific Researcher on April 10, the birthdate of Houssay (1887-1971), CONICET's first president of CONICET and winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1947.

(Source: CONICET)