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Greek American Scientists The National Herald a b DECEMBER 6, 2008 Volume III Volume www.thenationalherald.com SPONSORED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, DIMITRIS SIOUFAS, PRESIDENT 2 Greek American Scientists THE NATIONAL HERALD DECEMBER 6, 2008 The National Herald Greek American Scientists A weekly publication of the NATION- AL HERALD, INC. (ΕΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΞ), reporting the news and addressing his issue of “Greek Farmers around the world the issues of paramount interest American continue to use an irrigation to the Greek American community of Scientists” informs method he invented. Shaped the United States of America. us of the like a large screw, it draws Publisher-Editor accomplishments of water from rivers. His Antonis H. Diamataris Teight Greek American experiments with the lever Assistant to Publisher, Advertising scientists and the impact they resulted in his statement of Veta H. Diamataris Papadopoulos have had on our lives. Since the law of simple machines: Special Section Managing Editor ancient times Greeks have the load times the distance Elaine Thomopoulos been at the forefront of the load moves equals effort Production Manager science. I recently read a book times the distance through Chrysoula Karametros entitled “100 Scientists Who which the effort is applied. He Changed the World” by John served under the patronage of 37-10 30th Street, LIC, NY 11101-2614 Tel: (718)784-5255, Hudson Tiner. Not surprising, Hieron II, the King of Fax: (718)472-0510, the first seven scientists listed Syracuse, who challenged him e-mail: english.edition@thenational- in the book are Greek. They to single handedly drag a herald.com www.thenationalherald.com include Pythagoras, barge out of the water. He did Hippocrates, Aristotle, Euclid, so with a compound pulley. Democritou 1 and Academias Sts, Athens, 10671, Greece Archimedes, Eratosthenes and The king also challenged him Tel: 011.30.210.3614.598, Fax: Galen. to determine whether a new 011.30.210.3643.776, crown was made of pure gold. e-mail: [email protected] Pythagoras (c. 580 – 500 He used the law of buoyancy, Subscriptions by mail: 1 year $66.00, B.C.), who believed that the which he discovered while 6 months $33.00, 3 months $22.00, 1 month $11.00 world was mathematical in taking a bath. As the story is Home delivery NY, NJ, CT: 1 year $88.00, nature, applied mathematics told, he leaped out of his bath 6 months $48.00, 3 months $33.00, 1 month $14.00 to music as well as to shouting “Eureka (I have Home delivery New England States, astronomy. He is best known found it!”). Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland: for developing the 1 year $109.00, 6 months $57.00, Pythagorean Theorem: the Eratosthenes (c. 276 – 196 3 months $41.00, 1 month $18.00 On line subscription: square of the length of the B.C.) wrote about Subscribers to the print edition: 1 year hypotenuse of a right triangle mathematics, astronomy, $34.95, 6 months $23.95, 3 months $14.95; Non subscribers: 1 year $45.95, is equal to the sum of the geography, history and 6 months $29.95, 3 months $18.95 squares of the lengths of its literary criticism. He invented other two sides. a system of latitude and longitude. The map he In the time of Hippocrates (c. 460 – 377 B.C.), doctors compiled of the world (which extended from the British Isles to believed that vengeful gods caused diseases. Hippocrates, the Sri Lanka and included countries bordering the Mediterranean father of medicine, came to the conclusion that each disease had Sea) was used for 200 years. Upon determining that the a natural cause. He said, “Find the cause, and then you can cure Egyptian solar calendar fell short on one day every fourth year, the disease.” He advised his patients to eat healthy, get plenty of he suggested adding an extra day every four years. Most rest and have clean surroundings. Sound familiar? Upon significant, he calculated the circumference of the earth at graduation, many of today’s medical students take a modern 25,000 miles, which was remarkably close to the measurement D O N ’ T M I S S version of the Hippocratic Oath, which is based on his guidelines calculated today: 24,902 miles. for honorable conduct. The Greek physician Galen (c. 130 to 200 A.D.) believed “a Our annual A student of Plato, Aristotle (c. 384 – 322 B.C.) founded the physician needs to study the body, as an architect needs to Lyceum in Athens. In his work he made careful observations, follow a plan.” He learned about human anatomy by studying collected various specimens, and summarized and classified the human skeletons, dissecting animals and observing humans in Christmas specimens. This became the basis for the scientific method as we his work as a physician at a school for gladiators. Although the now know it. He wrote treatises on logic, metaphysics, physics, more than 100 tracts and books he wrote contained some errors Special ethics and natural sciences. Although his works were forgotten (including that disease results from an imbalance of four vital in Europe during the Dark Ages, when they were reintroduced, fluids), he advanced medical knowledge by emphasizing the they exerted a major influence on Western thought. importance of understanding the human body. “Elements of Geometry” by Euclid (c. 330 – 270 B.C.) was We bring you “Greek American Scientists” to honor modern used as a textbook for more than 2,000 years. His book, which day scientists and congratulate them. They have built upon the summed up the teachings of early mathematicians, included legacy of their predecessors. Like the early scientists that plane geometry, proportion, properties of numbers and solid preceded them, they are using their inquisitive minds and geometry. He proved that the number of prime numbers is creative spirits to change the world we live in. DECEMBER 20, 2008 infinite. Elaine Thomopoulos Using mathematical concepts to investigate the world, Managing Editor Archimedes (c. 287 – 212 B.C.) developed formulas for finding “Greek American Scientists” To advertise or to obtain rates: tel: (718) 784-5255 ext. 101, areas and volumes of spheres and cylinders and built inventions. E-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] THE NATIONAL HERALD DECEMBER 6, 2008 Greek American Scientists 3 Prologue by Mr. Dimitris Sioufas, President of the Hellenic Parliament, For The National Herald’s special “Greek American Scientists” insert he roots of science can be traced to Ancient Greece and ancient Greek philosophy – from Thales of Miletos all the way to Aristotle. Today, the heart of the global scientific community beats in the United States – Twhich has become a second home to many Greeks of the Diaspora. Today’s Greek American scientists bear the burden of continuing their ancestors’ storied tradition in this field, both now in the present, and in the years to come. The seeds of this tradition were first planted in the United States thanks to Dr. George Papanikolaou, and are blossoming today thanks to prominent scientists who honor their Greek roots and grace the U.S. scientific community. The Hellenic Parliament is proud of all the scientists in the Greek Diaspora. The National Herald’s special issue dedicated to Greek American scientists illustrates their longstanding presence and contribution. In congratulating them, we hope that the next generation will follow their example all the more, and yield many new successes of their own. As Greeks, regardless of where we live, we honor our history, traditions, science and our Greek homeland. 4 Greek American Scientists THE NATIONAL HERALD DECEMBER 6, 2008 Stamatios Krimigis: Argus of the Space Age By Mark N. Lardas tional Herald, “I did not know I Born in 1938, Stamatios grew Special to The National Herald would someday be part of teams up in Vrodtados along with his that would send things to the plan- brother, sister and mother. His fa- rowing up on the is- ets.” ther immigrated to the United land of Chios, Dr. Sta- Krimigis followed a tradition States just before World War II. His matios Krimigis never more ancient than the rocket wars. father intended to send for the dreamed his involve- When Jason set out the greatest family, but war intervened. The ment with rockets voyage of Greek mythology, Jason family was not reunited until the Gwould entail more than the Easter had the best shipwright of the age, early 1950s, when his father could rocket war in his home town of Argus, build the ship. Like Argus, finally return. Vrodtados. The congregations of Krimigis designs ships – except Stamatios’ earliest memories two churches in Vrodtados, St. Krimigis’ designs travel through in- are of the German occupation. “We Marcos and the Church of the terplanetary space. had a curfew. At night, we would Panayeas, celebrate Easter by Jason traveled to the then-dis- put an oil lamp on a low table, with shooting homemade rockets at tant reaches of the Black Sea. someone on lookout for German each other. Real rockets. Krimigis’ designs have traveled dis- patrols. If a patrol came by we Young Stamatios made and tances unimaginable to the Arg- would blow out the light until the launched missiles at the rival onauts: throughout the solar sys- patrol passed. When we played church. As Krimigis told The Na- tem and into interstellar space. outside, we would find shards of glass and use them to puncture the tires of German vehicles. At the time, Germans were not nice peo- ple.” Krimigis remembers his youth on Chios fondly. “We did not have electricity until I was in the sixth grade, but it was a happy exis- tence.

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