IPPA
HIGH ALTITUDE PULMONARY AND PATHOLOGY INSTITUTE
La Paz, Bolivia (3500 m)

Science, Honor and Truth

Some people believe cheating is a way of life. Business people, for instance, make stabbing a partner’s back a lewd act leading to success. Diplomats lie to their similars of other countries and thereby gain advantages. Salesmen promise the efficiency of their products, knowing that it is not so in the back of their minds. Lawyers offer to solve a judicial problem and have to carry on and on with costly and never-ending “alternatives”. And so on. Not everyone in their fields, of course, but indeed several.

Fish use camouflage in the ocean in order to trap the naive. Darwin’s theories of survival of the fittest have indeed changed human behavior. Evolved man has come to believe he should cheat on his species in order to gain an advantage. And to a point, it works. Surprise is usually a good weapon, particularly with underdeveloped minds. But these attitudes tend to forget a defense mechanism: Immunity. Bacteria know what we are talking about. Surprise them with a new antibiotic and temporarily wipe them out, yet not completely. A more robust breed arises, resistant to the previous antibiotic. Eliminating bacteria is practically impossible. They always come back. Sooner or later..... .

But why mention science? All through the years, I have read about respected and well-recognized scientists with extraordinary scientific results and beautiful data that was unquestionable. Eventually, they were discovered to be phonies. I recently learned of the story of discovering the missing link of evolution, published in National Geographic Magazine, which later turned out to be a history of scientific deceit, dishonesty, cheating, lying, hiding the truth, and so on. Well, I suppose they were applying the “rules” previously mentioned above. This brings us to the following conclusion: Science is about truth, and the truth is about reality. The opposite: hide facts, change data, cheat, lie, be unfaithful to colleagues, tell other colleagues not to invite a colleague to a meeting, promise and never keep your word, hide interesting data produced by others, or ignore them when deep inside you know you shouldn’t, is dishonesty. You will end up standing on a false floor. Mistakes are understandable and mendable, but cheating is unacceptable and unerasable. And believe me, even though the truth is relative and questionable at one point fixed in time, reality always surfaces, sooner or later. You can try to bury truth deep in the earth, but it will never be deep enough because truth in science is like an unsinkable buoy. Science is based on the rules of physics, unbendable, much less to one’s advantage.

And honor? Yes, a forgotten word in this 21st century. What has man retained from the teachings of Socrates? How have we evolved? What happened to the followers of Ralph Waldo Emerson? Honor is valueless, according to most. But like immunity, something also tends to be forgotten: conscience. Yes, conscience is that little angel between the ears, deep down in the gray matter of the human brain, yet like a hammer within. And it hits and does damage to the rest of the brain. And hence to the body. A self-destructive time bomb. Read history, and you will find innumerable examples: Darwin’s captain of the Beagle, for instance, fervently attacked Darwin’s theories because he felt left out, only to end his life by committing suicide. He could not cope with Darwin’s success. He felt his efforts to carry the Beagle around the world were the most important adventure feat. But could it compare with the origin of the species? Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables“ has a similar story. The police officer Javet that obsessively chased the innocent man Jean Valjean ends up also committing suicide.  

As Claude Bernard proposed, when you walk into your lab, hang your theories along with your lab coat. That is how you will find the truth. Nevertheless, I would add “always be faithful to the truth, and be proud to have honor”. It may seem like a more arduous road. But like pyramids, although challenging to build, they are the sturdiest shapes in nature. You will live longer and have plenty of satisfaction. You will rest in peace, but being alive. You will have done a service to humanity: Science, with truth and honor!

 

Gustavo R. Zubieta-Calleja (Jr.)
La Paz, April 10, 2002
 


On the 32nd anniversary of the High Altitude Pathology Institute
(Cl�nica IPPA * Instituto de Patologia en la Altura) in La Paz, Bolivia,
the directors have decided to create a medal called:

“SCIENCE, HONOR AND TRUTH”


The logo on the face of the medal was born in the 1st World Congress on High Altitude Medicine and Physiology held on 12-16 Sept 1994 in La Paz, Bolivia. The 10th anniversary is coming up in China in 2004. The holding strip is handmade of Alpaca and carries the colors of the Bolivian flag. Noteworthy the “Defeating hypoxia” concept..


to be given every two years to:

1) Chosen scientists from around the globe who are dedicated to scientific research at high altitude, promoting progress and research with truth and honor.

2) People that altruistically support maintaining the spirit of challenge in high altitude science.
  


p>All those receiving the award must be loyal to its principles of Science, Honor and Truth and if circumstances show that the 1st principle stated above is not respected or broken as evidenced by their actions they will be removed from this honor list.
  


 2002 awards
granted in Barcelona, Spain


Tatitana Serebrovskaya. (Ukraine) †
Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biology,
Academician of the International Academy of Sciences
Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
Kiev, Ukraine
 
 

  Jack Reeves (USA) †
University of Colorado Medical Center
Colorado, USA



Michiro Nakashima (Japan)
Osakafu Saiseikai Izuo-Daini Hospital,
Academic Alpine Club of Tokio
Osaka, Japan
 

Andrew J. Pollard (UK)
University Lecturer in Infectious Diseases
and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician
Department of Paediatrics
University of Oxford
John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford, UK

Pavel Beloshitsky (Ukraine) †
Chief of Elbrus Medical and Biological Station
First Deputy Director of the International Center
for Astronomical, Medical and Ecological
Investigations NAS of Ukranian and Russian AS
 

Ramón Garate (Spain)
Medico Montañista
Federación Vasca de Montaña
San Sebastian, España
 
 

Antchon Bandres (Spain)
Presidente
representando a la
Federación Vasca de Montaña
que patrocina la investigación científica de montaña
San Sebastian, España
 
 
 



2004 awards
granted in Lhasa, Tibet China



Dante Pe�aloza

 

 

 

 

Dante Peñaloza (Peru)
Emeritus Professor Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia
Honorary Member, National Academy of Medicine
Honorary President, Peruvian Society of Cardiology

Chief, Cardiovascular Laboratory, High Altitude Research Institute UPCH (1962-1990)


JIm Milledge

Jim Milledge (UK) †

Wu Tianyi

Wu Tiany (China)


2008 awards
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(II Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

 

Poul-Erik Paulev

Poul-Erik Paulev (Denmark) †
Panum Institute of Physiology
Copenhagen University


2010 awards
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(III Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

Thuppil Venkatesh

Thuppil Venkatesh (India)
St. John's Medical College
Bangalore, India

 


John Severinghaus

John Severinghaus (USA)†


2014 awards
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(V Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

 

Jan Marino Ramirez

JanMarino Ramirez (USA)
Center for Integrative Brain Research
Seattle Childrens Hospital

Madan Gopal

Madan Gopal (India)
Forest, Ecology and Environment Bengaluru
Former Aditional Chief Secretary


2016 award
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(VI Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

Kusal Das

Kusal Das (India)
Department of physiology
Laboratory of Vascular Physiology and Medicine
BLDE University, Bijapur, India


2018 awards
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(7th Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

Frantisek Kolar

Frantisek Kolar (Czech Republic)
Head of the Department of Developmental Cardiology
Institute of Physiology
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague.

Giuseppe Miserocchi

Giuseppe Miserocchi (Italy)
Professor of the Department of Physiology
University degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
Milano, Italy


2022 award
granted in La Paz, Bolivia

(8th Chronic Hypoxia Symposium)

Paolo Pelosi

Paolo Pelosi (Italy)
Chief Professor in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
Head of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit at IRCCS San Martino-IST Head of the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit
Genoa, Italy


.
You can contact us at zubieta@altitudeclinic.com

 


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Original Copyright  Jun/14/2000 IPPA - La Paz, Bolivia