This is Nikolai Vavilov. 👇
He (and his team) are amongst my all-time greatest #ScienceSuperHeroes.
They literally gave their lives to save the world from hunger, battling in the face of an anti-science dictatorship.
Here's their story in 4 tweets...
He (and his team) are amongst my all-time greatest #ScienceSuperHeroes.
They literally gave their lives to save the world from hunger, battling in the face of an anti-science dictatorship.
Here's their story in 4 tweets...
Vavilov was a pioneer in crop breeding in the early 20th Century.
His discoveries about the origins of crop genetics helped transform how we farm, even today.
Travelling the world, he amassed a vast bank of seeds to breed new high-yielding varieties w the aim of ending hunger.
His discoveries about the origins of crop genetics helped transform how we farm, even today.
Travelling the world, he amassed a vast bank of seeds to breed new high-yielding varieties w the aim of ending hunger.
During the siege of Leningrad, his scientists barricaded themselves inside the seed vault, not to protect themselves, but to save the vital collection from looters.
Some ultimately starved to death inside, despite being surrounded by grain, to save the collection for humanity.
Some ultimately starved to death inside, despite being surrounded by grain, to save the collection for humanity.
His evidence-based ideas on genetics were deeply unpopular w Stalin, as they did not fit current ideology.
He was sentenced to the Gulag & died of starvation there, due to his dedication to science.
His work, however, revolutionised farming. Helping save millions from hunger.
He was sentenced to the Gulag & died of starvation there, due to his dedication to science.
His work, however, revolutionised farming. Helping save millions from hunger.
