A talk with the Laureate

A high award

On 10 February, Academician Aleksey Yurievich Rozanov (Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, LRB JINR) became a Laureate of the Demidov Prize. We congratulated Aleksey Yurievich on the high award and asked him to comment on the event.

- The Prize has a long history, it was founded by the industrialist P.N.Demidov in the 19th century. This is the most prestigious non-governmental Prize in science. Its Expert Board consists of prominent scientists and its Board of Trustees - those who invest in science, including the ones that are responsible for the financial status of the Prize.

Have you ever been a member of the Expert board?

- No.

It is an estimate of the work if rated honestly...

- I can say that of all the awards that I have won, this one is the most prestigious. Over the years of its existence, only 100 people have won it. If I mention some names, you will understand the level of this award. They are D.I.Mendeleev, N.I.Pirogov, I.F.Kruzenstern. Together with me, an outstanding neurosurgeon, recognized as number one in the world, President of N.N.Burdenko National Medical Research Center for Neurosurgery Anton Konovalov has won the award. Who else might you know? Such as, O.G.Gazenko, one of the founders of our space medicine, has won this award, too...

He has visited Dubna and has given an interview to our weekly.

- And most recently, Yu.Ts. Oganessian has won this award.

You have won the award for a new area in paleontology and astrobiology. Can you briefly describe the papers on these topics?

- Well, it is said for brevity, however, in some cases it says "for papers on paleontology", in another cases - "for papers on biology" and the materials on astrobiology prepared at JINR are also included in these papers. Here it is how formulated in the diploma: "Academician Rozanov, a world-famous scientist, a specialist in the field of geology, biology, paleontology, stratigraphy, astrobiology."

That is, for the totality of what has been done in your entire scientific life...

- Well, surely. Not for a specific paper, but for merits in science, in general. Unfortunately or fortunately, I have been engaged in many things and I've "left a legacy" everywhere.

You have become a pioneer in certain areas...

- Of course, the area of bacterial paleontology is what I have substantiated, there are many more things I have done for the first time, things that are in all textbooks - this concerns stratigraphy. I have been elected to many international organizations, to their governing bodies, for example, I have been Vice-President of the International Paleontological Association, Chairman of the International Cambrian Committee and have worked as an expert in UNESCO committees.

Going back to astrobiology, can we expect new bright results in this area in the nearest future?

- You know, it was at JINR a year and a half or two years ago that the book "Meteorite Orgei (atlas of microfossils)" was published. All the members of my group and our colleague Richard Hoover (USA) that has recently become an Honorary Doctor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are among the authors.

What advice can you give to young scientists about how they should work and what perhaps, they should sacrifice in order to reach your scientific heights?

- You don't have to sacrifice anything, you just need to work hard, read as much as possible and most importantly and this is what has distinguished all my activities, if I started something, I always brought it to the end. Sometimes, I started such papers that lasted 10-12 years, but I still brought them to the end. And science is such a thing where it is impossible to figure out everything to the end, it is an endless process. There is no need to be afraid if something does not work out, or if it works out, but everyone whistles and stomps their feet or conversely, claps their hands. I have passed these stages not than once and - nothing, I have survived.

A new President of the Academy of Sciences has recently been elected. Do you expect the State's attitude towards the Academy to change, to increase its role in society, to influence on state-level decision-making?

- This is not an easy question. The attitude towards the Academy has always been complex, its authority has also varied at different times. The attitude of the country's leaders to science has also been different: some have believed that it has been important, others have considered it unimportant, some have loved scientists and have given money, others haven't loved them and have given no money. As for today, I think, despite all the difficulties, the attitude towards science is beginning to change, except for one moment. It seems to me that the leaders of the country do not really understand that import substitution is not yet science, but a game of catch-up. We can get a real breakthrough only in one case, if fundamental science is supported in our country, if scientists are not guided in their research. The money allocated for basic science may be small, but untouchable. And one last thing. Among fundamental investigations, there will be many not very important, not bright or even erroneous things, but we have to put up with this. Besides, it is in this "junk" that in 30-50 years someone will find something interesting that has not been recognized at one time. There is no understanding yet that fundamental science is what changes paradigms and is included in reference books and encyclopedias. These are fundamental theses on which the world develops in a new way. And this is very important.

Olga TARANTINA