Умер др. Норман Борлаг

[ymarkov]

One of the greatest benefactors of humanity ever, Dr. Norman Borlaug, is dead at 95 (cancer complications).

Norman Ernest Borlaug (March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate, and has been called the father of the Green Revolution. Borlaug was one of only five people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor.

Borlaug's discoveries have been estimated to have saved over 245 million lives worldwide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

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Comments

[malenkiy-scot.livejournal.com]

Never heard of him

[ymarkov.livejournal.com]

That's part of the problem. We have not a few unsung heroes. OK, we don't know who invented the wheel, but how many people know the inventor of the transistor, or female sanitary napkins?

[lkitross.livejournal.com]

In NY Times there was once an article about morality, and how people tend to loose the right focus. The author rhetorically asked: who did more for people: Sister Theresa or Borlaug? The author anticipated that people will answer Theresa, and we never heard about Borlaug, while in reality she was keepign a rather poor hospital without proper treatment, while Borlaug is the unsung hero of humanity.
I shared also arbotuary on my faceBook.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_borlaug

[malenkiy-scot.livejournal.com]

>while in reality

Reality is subjective. Happiness is entirely subjective. And different standard could be used. For example one can argue (not that I do - but read the criticism part of the Wikipedia piece) that Borlaug's inventions contributed to human misery in the long term.

[malenkiy-scot.livejournal.com]

Hm, it did not even occur to me to wonder about who invented the napkin.