John Matsoukas – författare

This edition is a record of James Watson’s historic visit to Greece in 2011 and 2016 at the Postgraduate Program «Medical Chemistry» conferences of the University of Patras. At these conferences, with James Watson as the honored person, the opportunity was given for the Greek University Community to get to know the great research-er up close.The discovery of the structure and function of the double-stranded DNA of Watson and Crick was one of the most important achieve-ments of the human mind and a huge step of man in his course through the centuries. It is considered the most important discovery after the formulation of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin.The discovery of the function of DNA confirmed the theory of evolution and is now the core and reference point of all sciences that evolve over time, drawing on the wisdom of deciphering the secret of the molecule of life, in the service of all sciences.Knowledge of the structure of the DNA molecule and the genome that carries the genetic information has opened new horizons in the fields of molecular biology and gives new perspectives to the science of biology and medicine for new therapies.For their momentous discovery, Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1962 and now belong to the pantheon of pioneers of the human intellect alongside the leading figures whose work has influenced human thought.Their discovery led to the revision of the fundamental rules of all the sciences and the perception with which man saw himself and the world. Their discovery was the beginning of a new world that saw and explained life and its mysteries in the light of scientific truth.Watson and Crick will be referred to the next generations alongside the leading figures of human thought. The discovery and deciphering of DNA was the great leap of medicine after Hippocrates and Watson and Crick’s Eureka –we discovered the secret of life– was the most important statement ever heard after Archimedes’ Eureka.For Watson’s visit to Greece and the warm welcome reserved for him by the Greek academic community, in Patras in 2011 and in Spetses in 2016, the next generations will refer with honor for our country. The State honored him in both of his visits to our country for his contribution to science and society and as an ardent philhellene. He had expressed himself with admiration for the Greek classical culture as the birthplace and cradle of democracy and modern culture.In 2012, Watson sent a letter to the US President Barack Obama and the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy asking for Greece’s support during the financial crisis, and he was the first to sign the fifteen Nobel laureates’ letter to the European leadership in 2015, with which they sought the support of research and Greek Universities.The European Leadership ( Jean-Claude Juncker, Martin Schulz, Donald Tusk) responded positively to the letter of the Nobel laureates and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education launched in 2016 the establishment of the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) to support research in Greek universities and research institutes of the country.The University of Patras honored him with the proclamation to an honorary doctorate after the proposal of the Department of Medi-cine and a masterpiece sculpture was erected in the courtyard of the Department of Biology representing the Double Helix DNA, honouring Watson and Crick. The monumental DNA work of Efstathios Leontis, which captures the evolution of species, unique worldwide for its architecture, adorns the University of Patras and is a pole of attraction for visitors from Greece and abroad.We are pleased to present this historical archive of James Watson’s visits to Greece, which includes stations of his journey, events and incidents that followed his visit to Greece and unpublished photographic material of his visits and speeches in our country.We hope that you will enjoy it and live with us the historical moments of his visit to Greece. Our country and the scientific community are proud for the reception and hospitality they offered to the leading researcher of the century and to which the next generations will honourably mention.