ann11080 — Announcement

ESO Promotes Astronomy during Bicentennial Conference in Santiago, Chile

President Sebastian PiÓÁera welcomed Nobel Prize laureates and international top scientists at celebration of the bicentennial of the Chilean Congress

1 December 2011

On 30 November 2011, the President of Chile, SebastiÓÅn PiÓÁera, visited the historical building that formerly housed the Congress in Santiago to welcome Nobel Prize laureates and international top scientists, who had been invited to discuss the influence and impact of biotechnology, nanotechnology and astrophysics on our society at the conference, ò??The Future: Science, Technology, Humanities and Citizenshipò?? (Congreso del Futuro). The conference was organised by the President of the Chilean Senate, Guido Girardi, and the President of the Chilean House of Representatives, Patricio Melero, to commemorate the bicentennial (200th anniversary) of the Chilean Congress.

From 1ò??3 December 2011, fundamental questions such as life outside Earth, new technologies, global warming, the energy crisis, co-evolution of robots and humans, digital society and paradigms for the governments for the future, were addressed by a select group of international scientists that included Carlo Rubbia, 1984 Physics Nobel Prize laureate; Yuan Tseh Lee, 1986 Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate; Rajendra K. Pachauri, 1997 Peace Nobel Price laureate; Avner Friedman, distinguished professor at the Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University (USA); and Catherine Cesarsky, High Commissioner of Atomic Energy for the CEA (France) and former ESO Director General.

An outdoor exhibit about ESOò??s observatories in Chile and the prestigious exhibition, TWAN ò?? The World at Night, were presented by the ESO Representative in Chile, Massimo Tarenghi, to the authorities invited. President PiÓÁera observed the Moon with amateur telescopes provided by ESO.

A documentary movie from the Chilean filmmaker Patricio GuzmÓÅn and paintings from the Chilean artist Matilde PÓ?rez were part of the cultural backdrop of the event.

Links

• The Future: Science, Technology, Humanities and Citizenship

Contacts

Massimo Tarenghi
ESO Representative in Chile
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 4633143
Email: mtarengh@eso.org

Valentina RodrÓ-guez
Press Officer ESO/Chile
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 4633123
Cell: +56 9 98294202
Email: vrodrigu@eso.org