[soft music]
I've been at MIT for 44
years.
It is an institute that believes
in original thought
and creativity,
but as well translating
those insights into society.
And it made the place such a vibrant
and exciting place to be a faculty
member.
The amount of focus that the
faculty members
and the postdocs and even the grad
students
put into basically
educating the undergraduates
and preparing them for graduate
school
or medical school is simply
unparalleled.
The faculty seems to trust
the graduate students quite a lot,
and the students are really
quite close.
MIT biology really exceeds in making
sure that everyone is
collaborative and,
you know, just really friendly.
It's just, like, a really great
place where you can satisfy
your curiosity
I think it takes a certain kind of
courageous
scientist to come
to a place where you're kind
of one or two of a kind,
who are working on your question.
And I think that's one of the
tremendous
strengths of this department.
Time and time again,
MIT
and basic science has underwritten
much of the development of modern
biomedical science
and modern medicine.
The project that I'm working on,
which concerns the behavior of
embryonic
stem cells, is a really fundamental
question.
And it's always been exciting to me,
but it's become even more exciting
as I've
realized that in the future it could
have implications
for cancer research
and tumor development.
And I think it really goes to show
that
answering really fundamental
questions about
how cells behave
and how biology works can ultimately
translate
to answers to really important
questions about the most important
challenges
that we face today.
In this climate
basic research is absolutely
overlooked.
And I think we have to keep on
making the case
for what basic research
has led to in breakthroughs
so that the rest of the world
understands that.
Funding basic research will go
towards the people that will end up
creating the treatments that will
help
us live longer
and more fulfilling lives.
Philanthropic support has been an
integral part of how
MIT has been able to
maintain its excellence.
As an example when I came to MIT
in 1974,
MIT
with philanthropic support had
purchased an electron microscope
and established an electron
microscope
facility.
And it was with that microscope
that I was able to make the
discovery
for which I got a Nobel Prize,
and really change how
we view
human physiology.
The money that goes towards funding
research
is really going also towards
educating, like, a new generation of
aspiring
scientists.
And at least for me that's been
really valuable
to have access to really top-notch
research
facilities during my undergrad
career
here.
Doing successful science requires
you really to live it.
Not having to worry about
the instrumentation
and keeping the lights on has just
been really great so that we can
focus
and dedicate our time to doing great
science.
You join a lab,
you are part of that family of that
lab
for your entire career.
You never lose those linkages
in science.
This is your family who matters,
and this is your family who changes
the world.
So please participate.
Have a good time,
support something really great.
And let's do it all together.
