270
Epilogue
I cannot deny my joy and satisfaction at the constant flow of successes and
triumphs achieved by the scientists and engineers of the IAC, and at seeing
how highly valued are those who leave to work elsewhere. At this point in my
life perhaps my greatest reward is witnessing how those who have succeeded
me continue to reach ever greater heights. That is how the world progresses.
The IAC today is now firmly embedded and valued within its environment.
The Canary islanders are proud of their Astrofísico, and their ‘astronomical
skies’ are now part of the Canarian identity, a scientific referent—even to the
point of becoming a tourist attraction. It would have been difficult to imagine
all of this at the beginning, way back in the sixties.
The majority, if not the totality, of the recent spectacular advances in our
astronomical knowledge are owed to instrumentation, to technology. Those
giant prostheses—the telescopes, collectors of photons—continue to reveal to
us hitherto unsuspected depths, confronting us with new, astounding, and
wonderful mysteries. This is the future.
Astronomy continues to serve humanity with an ever-growing harvest of
new knowledge in its quest to understand a little better the Universe in which
we live, who we are, and where we come from. Consciously to participate in
such a venture is the greatest reward to all who dedicate their lives to it.
I close by recalling that that which enabled us to be born, to get to where
we are now, and make the IAC distinctive are the extraordinary and protected
Canarian Observatories, the seat for the new photon collectors of the future.
This redoubt, which we must continue to protect and promote, and the
recruitment of the finest personnel are our best guarantee for the future. Let
us not forget it!
Epilogue
I cannot deny my joy and satisfaction at the constant flow of successes and
triumphs achieved by the scientists and engineers of the IAC, and at seeing
how highly valued are those who leave to work elsewhere. At this point in my
life perhaps my greatest reward is witnessing how those who have succeeded
me continue to reach ever greater heights. That is how the world progresses.
The IAC today is now firmly embedded and valued within its environment.
The Canary islanders are proud of their Astrofísico, and their ‘astronomical
skies’ are now part of the Canarian identity, a scientific referent—even to the
point of becoming a tourist attraction. It would have been difficult to imagine
all of this at the beginning, way back in the sixties.
The majority, if not the totality, of the recent spectacular advances in our
astronomical knowledge are owed to instrumentation, to technology. Those
giant prostheses—the telescopes, collectors of photons—continue to reveal to
us hitherto unsuspected depths, confronting us with new, astounding, and
wonderful mysteries. This is the future.
Astronomy continues to serve humanity with an ever-growing harvest of
new knowledge in its quest to understand a little better the Universe in which
we live, who we are, and where we come from. Consciously to participate in
such a venture is the greatest reward to all who dedicate their lives to it.
I close by recalling that that which enabled us to be born, to get to where
we are now, and make the IAC distinctive are the extraordinary and protected
Canarian Observatories, the seat for the new photon collectors of the future.
This redoubt, which we must continue to protect and promote, and the
recruitment of the finest personnel are our best guarantee for the future. Let
us not forget it!