ScienceBlogs Brazil brings together the most original and influential voices within the Brazilian science community, some of whom have already won accolades for their blogging. Edited from São Paulo by Carlos Hotta and Atila Iamarino, ScienceBlogs Brazil launched Tuesday with 23 Portuguese-language blogs on topics ranging from genetics to the environment. "I think we need people committed to raising scientific awareness in Brazil," said Carlos Hotta, "and I am certain that ScienceBlogs Brazil will turn our local voices into global ones."
From Sb Brazil Community Managers Carlos Hotta and Atila Iamarino:
Brazil is a country of contrasts. Even though we are one of the
largest economies of the world, we still struggle to reduce the huge
gap between the richest and the poorest in our country. Even though
urban areas in the coast are growing larger, like the swarming 20
million people in the São Paulo metropolitan area, the interior portion of
Brazil still has low demographic density. Even though there is a growing number of
universities in the country, functional illiteracy is still a big
problem. Finally, even though Brazil has astounding natural
ecosystems, we insist on destroying them in the name of development.
Science in Brazil is a reflection of our contrasts. Even though there
are many important hubs of world-class research, they are mainly
concentrated in São Paulo State. Moreover, most of our research is
funded with public money, which explains the small number of patents
registered by our country. Science education is also very poor in
Brazil. This year, the Brazilian budget for science suffered a severe cut, an
unacceptable decision for a country that aims to be a powerhouse in
sustainable technologies, stem cell research, wildlife conservation
and biofuel production.
ScienceBlogs Brazil has the challenge of bringing science to the Brazilian
population. We aim to increase scientific awareness to the population and
inspire new Brazilians to pursue a scientific career. We want to
include scientific issues in the everyday talk. We want to make our
local voice to be heard in the rest of the world. Finally, we believe
Brazil should embrace science as a way to fulfill its potential and
emerge as a sustainable country that brings development to
its population.
Bem-vindos ao ScienceBlogs Brasil!
Selected posts from ScienceBlogs Brazil translated into English: