Mysteries of the universe, the animals that populated prehistoric Chile, the first inhabitants of our continent, the incredible world that hides in our native forests and ecosystems, adventures in the deep sea, scientific feats and much more, are part of the 56 milestones which includes the Encyclopedia of Chilean Science, an initiative carried out by Bigbang producer, as part of the Public Science program, of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.
The publication explains in a simple way and with a series of data the story behind each of the milestones achieved by national scientists, including QR codes on each page that allow access to more information on each topic. Carmen Gloria Ramos, general editor of the book, explains that you can access videos, capsules, historical images, podcasts and conversations with researchers from different disciplines.
“It is the first book that uses the printed format with which the dissemination of knowledge began three centuries ago, that of traditional encyclopedias, and combines it with the interactivity of our times to show the most important achievements achieved by national scientists” explains Ramos, founding partner of Bigbang producer.
Medical advances such as the first heart transplant performed in our country in 1968 by Dr. Jorge Kaplán and the vaccine against hepatitis B, developed by the Chilean biochemist Pablo Valenzuela, are included in the book along with findings of global relevance such as the discovery of oldest tree on the planet, a milestone headed by Antonio Lara, from the Austral University: it is a larch that is 5,484 years old.
Along with this, the Encyclopedia presents characters who have made history in the science of our country, such as the astronomer María Teresa Ruiz, who discovered a type of star called Brown Dwarves; Cecilia Hidalgo, whose research identified the function of calcium, the most abundant mineral in our body; and Joaquín Luco, whose studies in neuroscience laid the genetic foundations of behavior, among others.
Great discoveries that have gone around the world are also part of the publication, such as the accelerated expansion of the Universe, carried out with a method to measure distances of stars carried out in Chile and which led to a Nobel Prize, or the revolutionary anti-seismic technology system created by engineers Juan Carlos de la Llera and Carl Lüders, from the Catholic University, an invention that was recognized in 2024 by the National Academy of Engineering in the United States.
Finally, the publication also highlights the rich prehistoric past of our country, which has been revealed through a series of pioneering investigations, allowing reconstruction from the time when extinct animals inhabited our territory, such as dinosaurs and megafauna species such as the mylodon, to the history of the first inhabitants who arrived in these southern latitudes of the world more than 10 thousand years ago.
Leyla Ramírez, content editor of the book, explains that “the protagonists of this encyclopedia are scientists who, often overcoming the obstacles in their environment, made their way and placed Chilean science on the front line of global research. All this with a beautiful visuality, which makes reading easier and provides context to each story.”
Download a digital copy of the Encyclopedia at next link.
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