48 quotes found
"Right in the heart of the Antarctic continent, in one of the coldest, most deserted and inaccessible places in the world."
"This is a unique place where prevailing conditions are of extreme cold, isolation, and where it is night several months of the year. It then becomes possible to observe the stars on a continuous basis."
"There is no soul that lives less than 1,000 miles away. The place is located at 3200 meters, but the weather is as if we were at 4000 meters. Installing an observatory in such an environment resembles a space mission in that we must check all the atmospheric parameters (turbulence, transparency, scintillation (twinkling), aurora, etc.)."
"Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences in the world. It is the study of all extraterrestrial objects, that is, those existing outside the Earth or its atmosphere, such as the solar system that consists of our star, the sun, and the objects that orbit it, the Moon, galaxies, planets and comets."
"Astronomy also investigates and explains the origin and evolution of the phenomena associated with such objects, like supernova explosions, gamma rays, quasars, blazars, pulsars and cosmic microwave background radiation."
"Astronomy was used to measure time, mark seasons and navigate oceans based on predictions about the positions of the sun, the Moon and the planets, while stars have helped people to navigate the Earth by lighting up the night."
"In this case, regardless of the mirror’s size—whether 39, 100, or even 200 meters—a ground-based telescope cannot solve the fundamental problem in asteroseismology: the detection of certain pulsation modes that remain unobserved. The limitation arises from the alternation of day and night. For instance, even with the largest ground-based telescopes, such as the VLT, observations can only be made at night. This daily interruption creates gaps in the data, meaning that when we record a star’s brightness over time—its light curve—we obtain an incomplete sequence, marked by interruptions caused by the Earth’s rotation."
"I think we are relatively well placed in Morocco; women make up 30-40% of attendance at the top science schools in the country."
"It is worth noting that Moroccan universities carry out extensive research in close collaboration with the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology (CNESTEN), which operates an exceptional research reactor used for the production of radioisotopes."
"Morocco has established cooperation agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Furthermore, it has a national agency, the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR), which reports directly to the head of government. This agency is responsible for overseeing the use of radiation, whether in hospitals, universities, or other areas."
"It is also worth noting that Morocco has a highly skilled workforce in the nuclear sector, with many well-trained young professionals. In terms of electro-nuclear reactors, the country is well prepared, and discussions are already underway about the potential use of small modular reactors (SMRs) for future applications such as seawater desalination."
"Moroccan universities, with my involvement, are currently organizing a major international conference dedicated to high-energy research. This initiative is the first of its kind in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the continent’s countries. As part of my contribution, I am engaging through research carried out in collaboration with various international partners. Our main goal is to guide and prepare the next generation of scientists and researchers. I view this mission as a lifelong commitment, as it holds great significance for the future of our nation."
"Increasing the impact of science and building confidence in science can only be achieved through science education, scientific mediation and the development of scientific and technical skills."
"I'm really honoured to be selected as a recipient of one of the 2022 TWAS Medals. This is also a recognition of the high level of Moroccan science, which is now part of the most important international collaborations."
"the strong force, which holds together atomic nuclei; the weak force, which is behind radioactivity; the electromagnetic force, including both visible and non-visible light; and gravity. The ATLAS collaboration is searching for a new physics, transcending our current vision of the universe,"
"It was designed to detect particles that can be created only through proton-proton collisions at extremely high speed. Through these experiments, the international community hopes to recreate the conditions existing in the universe less than one billionth second after the Big Bang, about 13.7 billion years ago."
"Being involved in such a collaboration has helped us, as Moroccan researchers, to position ourselves internationally, and that is what has helped us to be ranked among the top now."
"It was a very big challenge, because there absolutely could not be any mistakes."
"It shows that perseverance pays off in the end. That it's not over. And that's why I tell all my younger colleagues: Never hesitate! Don't say that we're in a less developed country or that we don't have the resources. We can achieve anything and we can do anything."
"There need to be role models, and girls also need to seek mentors to help and advise them."
"Understanding how desert plants develop resilience is key to unlocking solutions to the problems of water scarcity and agricultural land use.”"
"a genuine fascination with plants developed almost immediately, in particular with their roots. It’s easy to overlook the role that roots play in plant biology but understanding their function in the greatest possible detail has now become Blilou’s life’s work"
"Understanding how these plants develop such resilience is key to unlocking solutions to the global challenges of water scarcity and agricultural land use."
"Based on the conditions they are confronted with, the roots adapt their structure over time so that they can best serve the rest of the plant."
"Student is like a seed, plant it, nurture it, you give it as much attention as needed and at the end it will start flourishing and give you flowers.”"
"You are smart enough and capable enough to join any field in STEM, and you are equally as deserving to be in these fields as anybody else. Follow your curiosities and believe in yourself."
"The promise approach to achieve gender balance in sciences is to show young people the full range of scientific professions while they’re still at school. Fostering and supporting girls to consider scientific careers may help them to choose to study science disciplines."
"Having women in positions of responsibility in scientific institutions is useful to show the younger generation that a brilliant career in science is possible for women."
"It is essential to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of gender, ethnicity or culture. This is the true meaning of equality, and having an open and welcoming environment is critical to support diversity"
"I have learned how to appreciate science that provides us a way of thinking and knowing the world better. I have always been fascinated by knowledge, because it can give power to human beings to know how to explore nature and harness energy, understand our environment and use them for our benefits."
"We have to mitigate the shortage of women in science via promoting and encouraging careers in science. The benefits of gender balance are not just for women and girls, but to ensure the coherence of the human beings as a cornerstone of society."
"I have a true passion for science and a real need to understand the building blocks of the universe, from its early stages to its current state and future evolution."
"Math is hard, Physics is beautiful. is the best process to build scientific knowledge."
"Physics reveal the mathematical beauty of the universe at scales ranging from subatomic to cosmological."
"I was fascinated with Quantum Physics, which is a fundamental theory in physics that explains how everything works, noting that it is the best description we have of the nature of the particles that make up matter and the forces with which they interact."
"Within the framework of a renewed, modernized UNESCO, eager to act more than before, within which it is high time that absent countries find their place, we must, together, ensure that the Organization can initiate the process necessary to fully play its role, asserting itself more intensely as an intellectual Organization, a Forum for reflection."
"Together we must reject any attempt to establish a hierarchy between cultures, any amalgamation between terrorism and a given culture, religion or ideology. We must instead contribute to promoting rationality."
"Together we must strengthen the ethical sense among peoples, work so that we can enrich ourselves from our differences."
"Together, we must strengthen the spirit of ethics among nations and work to ensure that our differences become a source of mutual enrichment."
"Q: You've talked about how with some children the light goes out of their eyes. Is there a situation during your practice, whether in the hospital or on the streets, where you just weren't able to help? A: Oh yes, I have seen so much, my dear. There are children who are so deeply broken that it becomes too late to reach them. It’s incredibly difficult to work with those in such dire situations so much trauma, so many emotional scars, a lack of affection, and cases of rape and incest. What I have witnessed in my life is overwhelming. More recently, while visiting a refugee camp in Lebanon, I met a 13-year-old boy. He told me, When I arrived here, I was very young. I’ve been living in this camp for seven years. I feel like I’m imprisoned in this camp and in my own body. Then he said, This is not life. When I asked him what could make him want to live again, he replied, It’s too late. Around the world, suffering, despair, and suicide are on the rise. We must be very careful about what we do it’s always a fragile balance between hope and despair. That is why I keep urging that we act swiftly. We must act quickly."
"Q: In 2008, you were named UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. That must have been quite a challenge, you know, for the world. What did you try to achieve with that role and what needs to be done in the world on behalf of those children? A: We have to never forget. Children are becoming a big market. You have not only child sexual abuse material, but you have grooming, sexting, sextortion, live streaming. You have promotion of suicide. You have promotion of self harm. You have enrollment. You have fake news. You have, you know, theft of identity and privacy of children that are used. You have gambling. You have gaming. The list is huge. And exposure to violence, exposure to harmful content, exposure to violence, sexual, you know. It's why I'm pushing currently, even when we are seeing with countries, we have this pushback regarding sexual education and reproductive health, to tell them, My God, it's needed more than ever. It’s not encouraging them to have sex. So, we need to make sure that they are aware."
"The number of 300 million, you know, of children victims of sexual exploitation online is not reflecting the truth because the problem is also reporting, and we have not all the data. Why we arrive at this stage? Because you have more and more children connected, and more and more children younger, more and more younger children are connected. The other point that it's important that you have also more and more predators and sexual offenders who are connected."
"The issue is truly significant, which is why we are strongly advocating within the Global Digital Compact. I also recently returned from the Global Cybersecurity Forum to ensure that child protection online is properly integrated."
"It is not an easy issue to resolve, as there are three key aspects to consider: the child who is the victim, the child who is the bully, and the bystander."
"Child labor is considered as a violence against children because normally children have to be in school, or in another way, but not working. The problem is currently is this number is high because of what is going worldwide. Because of all this crisis, you know, forced displacement, food insecurity, poverty, social disparities, you know, conflict, climate crisis. The number of children who are enrolled in child labor and in many cases in the worst forms of child labor, really is increasing. And many children are victims of violence at the place of their work. But many children who are victim of child labor are also victim of trafficking. Are victims of smuggling, are victims of sexual exploitation."
"That is why I emphasize that violence results from multiple factors. Unless we address all the key causes, we will neither end it nor prevent it."
"You hear some strong policymakers telling us our children are our future. They are not your future. You are the past; they are the present and they are their own future."
"What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late."