famous cuban inventors famous cuban inventors

Wouldnt it have been nice if they all could have been available for testing, and we could have allowed scientific and medical reasons to drive why one or the other came to the market in a particular place, rather than political embargoes?. These drugs aren't as fully developed as CimaVax, says Lee, but they appear to have great potential. Top 100 famous female inventors in history 1. This was especially true in the case of the chemically inert chains of chlorine and fluorine atoms strapped to a carbon backbone known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. Instead, he spent those 20 years refining his theory, breeding mosquitoes, and conducting hundreds of tests to support this theory. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman. "Award Ceremony Speech: Luis Leloir." Students who studied technology, like 34-year-old Yusnier Fernndez, find ways to put their skills to use. Try this: Looking for a cool science fair idea? In 2012, she was named JSC director -- the first Hispanic person and second woman to do so [sources: NASA; NASA]. Photograph by Greg Kahn, National Geographic, Photographs by Greg Kahn, National Geographic. Learn more: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Lemelson-MIT. The rikimbili, prohibited, but widely used in Cuba, is made of a bicycle with a motor attached. Jill Staake is a Contributing Editor with WeAreTeachers. Over time, he worked to develop the daguerreotype, the precursor of modern photography. Experiment with the classic tin can telephone, Put together a blood model using beads or candies, Grace Murray HopperA Legacy of Innovation and Service, The Farmboy Who Invented Television (Smithsonian Magazine), learning how to build your own door alarm, Ralph H. Baer, National Center for Simulation, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Lemelson-MIT, deconstruct it with your class to learn about the pieces and parts inside, Ann Tsukamoto, Necessity is the Mother of Invention, Watch this video to learn more about stem cells, Check out this video to learn more about the Smart Grid, all the devices that use USB ports and technology, 16 wonderful women scientists to inspire your students, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas when you sign up for our free newsletters, 12 Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Creating Amazing Flipped Classroom Videos, 15 Memes That Show What Its Like to Teach the Week of Halloween. These include the aerial screw, which led to modern helicopters, and an underwater diving suit that was the precursor to todays scuba gear. Now, with new technology coming into the country, these old cars are being revamped with mini-DVD players and stereo systems that blast out oldies in Spanish and the latest American pop. At the time, yellow fever still ravaged the tropics, terrorizing populations and disrupting shipping, especially in Havana [sources: Frierson; Haas; PBS; WHO; UVHSL]. His swivel chair was an instant hit, and he also created the dumbwaiter system. Born in 1889 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Charles Terres Weymann would go on to become a leading light in coachwork technology, his designs featuring on many of the finest automobiles of his era. Ochoa researched information processing at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center and listed as co-inventor on three patents in optics, object recognition and image processing. She went on to become the first Black female millionaire in the U.S. Try this: Learn how to make your own incandescent light bulb using a glass jar and a battery. From groundbreaking biologists and physicists to innovators in the fields of medicine, botany, and environmental studies, here are 10 game-changing Hispanic scientists you should know about. Government glassware used to distribute food was often reused to store and trade illegal food and medicine, Oroza says. Unfortunately, all of this creativity is motivated by profound poverty and desperation. 2006. During World War II, he invented several radar applications, worked on the Manhattan Project and rode in a chase plane during the Enola Gay's Hiroshima bombing. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. (July 3, 2014) http://www.who.int/lep/situation/latestdata/en/, World Health Organization. The world will forever associate two names with leprosy, aka Hansen's disease: Norwegian physician Gerhard Hansen, who in 1873 discovered the bacterium that causes it; and Jacinto Convit, who created a new vaccine for the slow-acting, disfiguring and deadly disease by combining a known tuberculosis treatment with an armadillo bacterium in 1987 [sources: BBC; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Chinea; Yandell]. . (July 7, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1984/, Nobel Prize. A small laptop mounted in a 1955 Ford Mercury. New music is taking over for salsa in Havana's hippest clubs. Perhaps the most well-known Cuban innovation is the vaccine CimaVax. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers. "The Yellow Fever Vaccine: A History." 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The island nation, hemmed in by a 54-year trade embargo with the U.S., cant exchange goods with one of the worlds largest economies and the largest medical market. The first Mexican-born scientist to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Mario Molina discovered the serious environmental threat posed by chlorofluorocarbon gases (CFCs). "Alfonso Caso y Andrade." who was a sun goddess in early irish mythology; famous cuban inventors. Try this: Put together a basic rubber band shooter, then see if you can tinker around to improve the designs distance or accuracy. Learn more: Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Venezuela nominated him for a Nobel Prize in 1988, but he did not win. Rum And Coke Rum and coke, also known as Cuba Libre, was invented after Cuba gained independence after the Spanish-American War. Learn more: Ajay BhattThe Inventor of the USB. famous cuban inventions. (July 7, 2014) http://yellowfever.lib.virginia.edu/reed/finlay.html, Wohl, Charles G. "Scientist as Detective: Luis Alvarez and the Pyramid Burial Chambers, the JFK Assassination, and the End of the Dinosaurs." Instead, he gave the world the concept of crop rotation. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. "Nobel Lecture: My Life with O3, NOX and other YZOXs." Try this: Follow Bill Nyes lead and try this candle-extinguishing experiment to learn how effective face masks are. Known for: Edison and Teslas rivalry is well-known. The seven-time Grammy Award winner. A car is rewired for a digital display in Havana. Owners havent been able to acquire new parts since President Kennedy issued a trade embargo in 1962, so they have devised hacks to keep the cars running. Celia Cruz The most popular Latin musical artist of the 20th century was born in Havana, Cuba but spent most of her life in the United States. Joseph and John weren't the only black inventors involved in agriculture. Routledge. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? "Role Models in Science & Engineering Achievement: Bernardo Alberto Houssay." After discovering a love of ancient regional architecture and writing systems, the Mexico City native began taking classes in anthropology. But Convit, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and died there a century later, extended his hand beyond the confines of the lab or doctor's office. Known for: Fulton got his start as an artist, but it was his interest in steam engines that turned him into one of the most famous inventors. "Baruj Benacerraf -- Biographical." (July 3, 2014) http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27389259, Benacerraf, Baruj. Born in Camaguey, Cuba, in 1948, Adalberto Alvarez was a famous Cuban pianist, musical director, and composer. "All of these arcane rules and restrictions related to the embargo that are designed to block commerce with Cuba are keeping Americans from having access to these treatment opportunities," LaRame said. Maldacenas research on the duality of conjecture was so groundbreaking, the participants of a 1998 string theory conference wrote a song to honor him called The Maldacena (sung and danced to the tune of The Macarena. It was the 1990s, after all). (July 4, 2014) http://anthropology.si.edu/olmec/english/archaeologists/caso.htm, Sullivan, Walter. Try this: Understand more about the anatomy of the eye by building a 3D human eye model. Ask kids to name famous inventors, and you might get Thomas Edison or Henry Ford. "Csar Milstein." Ochoa, who was honored with NASAs Distinguished Service Medal, served as the director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, from 2013 to 2018. Speaking of the immune system, when using antibodies to combat viruses or bacteria, the human immune system favors an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. During his 75-year career, he received several honors, including Spain's Prince of Asturias Award and France's Legion of Honor. Try this: Da Vinci was fascinated by flying machines. A new television covers the wall of an old home in Havana. "Cesar Milstein." Ellen Ochoa was born in Los Angeles, Calif., and earned her master's degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. The cost, around $2 an hour, is prohibitive for locals, but enterprising Cubans have figured out how to divide them up to sell in smaller allotments. The pair have attracted devoted fans that follow their shows across Havana. Now, in the Internet era there are no shortage of Cuban entrepreneurs aspiring to overcome the technological drought. She holds several patents for the technology to isolate various types of stem cells. (July 4, 2014) http://www.dailycal.org/2014/06/17/frank-asaro-uc-berkeley-nuclear-chemist-dies-age-86/, Milstein, Csar. Yellow fever was wiped out of Cuba as well as Panama, enabling engineers to finally complete the Panama Canal [sources: Haas; PBS; UVHSL]. Gloria Estefan. His all-electronic television system made TV one of the worlds favorite past-times. "Frank Asaro, Berkeley Lab Nuclear Chemist, Dies at 86." "If people knew about these cutting-edge treatments coming out of Cuba, people would want to have them," said Pierre LaRame, executive director of the Oakland-based Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba, which advocates for Cuban medical inventions in the U.S. and publishes an international, peer-reviewed journal focusing on Cuban health and medicine. All rights reserved. Known for: In his work as a professional scene painter for the opera, Daguerre began experimenting with camera obscura for painting large backdrops. Benacerraf later recalled how the mixture of his heritage and upbringing created difficulties for him both in America and when he later temporarily moved to Paris [sources: Benacerraf; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Nobel Prize]. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has authorized the importation of some Cuban medicines in the past, but only enough to conduct research and clinical trials, according to a spokeswoman for the Treasury. D)." That's what makes the medical prominence of Cuba all the more surprising to those who view a free market as an essential driver of scientific discovery. He spent much of his career working for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and his innovations in aerospace technology are legendary. April 1971. Known for: If you love a good Netflix binge, thank Philo Farnsworth. (July 7, 2014) http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html, NASA. Try this: Make your own camera obscura with a box and basic household supplies. Since then, rum and coke has been among the world's most well-known cocktails. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and National Geographic. Invented by researchers at the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana, CimaVax targets a growth factor in cancer cells in a way that can arrest the spread of the disease. There he became a naturalized citizen in 1943 after serving in a U.S. Army wartime medical training program that drafted him out of medical school. Moved after encountering the disease's poor and stigmatized victims during medical school, he soon dedicated himself to helping treat them and to combating the social stigma under which they lived [sources: BBC; Chinea]. In 1991, he launched the World Wide Web, and the internet as we know it was born. However, Colevas cant know for sure if Nimotuzumab has fewer side effects than other drugs in its class, or how effective Nimotuzumab is compared to related treatments, because Bouffets is the only trial of the drug that has been completed in the U.S. This article aims to delve into important inventions and their inventors from the perspective of the SSC CGL/CHSL and Banking examinations. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Classroom ideas, free printables, and great teacher ideas right here. The Routledge Dictionary of Anthropologists. "Nobel Lecture: Polar Ozone Depletion." Photo by Enrique De La Osa/Reuters. Which travel companies promote harmful wildlife activities? By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. He attended the National School of Arts in Havana and later went on to become a music professor in the 70s. Andy Ruiz, one of the only people producing 360 degree videos in Cuba, gets the technology brought in from connections in America. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? However, most transactions between Cuba and the U.S. are still prohibited, which is why Cuban drugs face additional regulatory hurdles for testing and marketing compared to other drugs developed overseas. Travis Daub The late 20th century was marked by the recognition that humans could significantly affect the environment, even Earth itself. His inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin Stove. Eco-friendly burial alternatives, explained. Born in 1870 in Washington D.C. to a Mexican diplomat father, Mexia spent many years as a social worker before enrolling as an undergraduate at the University of California Berkeley and discovering her passion for botany. 101 JFK Parkway | Short Hills, NJ | 07078 | (973) 921-5500, Protected: Classroom Talk-to-Text Project, Biography of Johannes Gutenberg, German Inventor of the Printing Press (ThoughtCo), Da Vinci-style ornithopter with household items, one of these kid-safe electricity experiments, Thomas Jefferson: Inventions & Accomplishments, learn to make a model of a steam power generator, Louis Daguerre, Inventor of Daguerreotype Photography (ThoughtCo), homemade projector built with a cardboard box and a magnifying glass, these fun assembly line classroom activities, The Legacy of Dr. George Washington Carver. Known for: One of the most famous inventors around, Bell gave the world the telephone. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? Racotumomab is in phase two and three trials in Cuba (these clinical trial stages assess effectiveness, side effects and adverse reactions), while VSSP is in early clinical trials. In the 1910s and 1920s, she traveled thousands of miles around Mexico, South America, and Alaska, collecting some 145,000 plant specimens in just 13 years. Many Cubans can't get parts to fix the old American and Russian cars, but adding electronic entertainment is becoming popular. When does spring start? The Great Fever. These notes were about the analytical engine, Babbage's theoretical invention. Try this: Put your students to work with these fun assembly line classroom activities. 64, no. He published the results in 2014. Their Cinmatographe was a three-in-one machine that could record, develop, and project films for an audience. Born in Puerto Prncipe, Cuba, Finlay studied abroad before returning to Havana as a general practitioner and ophthalmologist with a penchant for scientific research. Cuban artist Ernesto Orza has spent the last decade photographing and collecting many of these creations. But barriers to access remaincontinuously testing the islands ingenuity. Learn more: Taking Flight With the Wright Brothers. In Cuba, theres hope that loosening restrictions will help it catch up with the 21st century. luke huard texas a&m salary; famous cuban inventors. Try this: Experiment with the classic tin can telephone to learn more about how sound travels. For his work, Milstein shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Khler and Niels K. Jerne [sources: Nobel Prize]. The findings shed new light on the sophistication and development of pre-Hispanic peoples in Mexico and cemented Casos reputation as a leading archaeologist. May 9, 2012. Try this: Learn Morse Code and tap out messages to friends and family. With fans that include Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Steve Gadd, Taj Mahal and Quincy Jones, Martinez is the world's first-call rumbero, and a consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and. Try this: Check out the Hour of Code program to learn how kids of all ages can learn computer coding in fun and easy ways. The roughly 5,000-year-old human remains were found in graves from the Yamnaya culture, and the discovery may partially explain their rapid expansion throughout Europe. The following year, he and Felix Bloch pioneered measuring a neutron's magnetic moment, that is, its tendency to align with an applied magnetic field (an important clue that the neutrally charged particle is made of electrically charged fundamental particles). Known for: When Hopper first starting working with computers, they took up entire rooms. Find out how to build your own Da Vinci-style ornithopter with household items. Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton are known as the greatest scientists of all time. "10 Hispanic Scientists You Should Know" She first served on a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery, where she and a team of astronauts studied Earths ozone layer, then returned to space three more times, spending nearly 1000 hours in orbit. "Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa." According to the Smithsonian, Victor Ochoa had a reward of $50,000 offered for his delivery dead or alive to Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico. After studying robotics in art school, Yusnier Mentado Fernndez started working on his own creations using processors from Italy. The most promising change yet came Tuesday, when the Obama administration announced that American dollars will now be. Learn more: Grace Murray HopperA Legacy of Innovation and Service. A portable bluetooth speaker for sale is tested out on the streets of Central Havana. 6. Bernardo Houssay -- Biographical." The New York Times. "As far as Nimotuzumab is concerned, at least in the pediatric oncology setting, there isnt any study that has been successful enough to influence the FDA to allow it [to] be licensed or approved for pediatric use in North America," Bouffet said. There were major hurdles facing Cubas entry into the technologically advancing world. Cuban inventor Yolando Perez Paez uses his new makeshift crop spraying tool on a corn field at a farm near the village of Guira de Melenas in the province of Artemisa, some 50 km (31 miles). Alvarez." Vol. Armstrong also noted that besides amputation, the only treatment currently available to Americans with diabetic foot ulcers is a cream with a "black box warning," indicating that the treatment has serious or life-threatening side effects. This bicycle has a soda bottle for a fuel tank. Instead of washing out of the sky through rainfall or oxidation, they floated into the upper stratosphere, where solar ultraviolet radiation broke them apart and set off an ozone-destroying chemical reaction. Before Google doodles, we honored important forgotten figures with postage stamps. At the time, researchers were struggling to create targeted pure antibodies that worked against known agents. He was prolific, but his best-known inventions include the incandescent light bulb, phonograph, and an early movie camera. Page 3. (July 7, 2014) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/, Yandell, Kate. November 2007. Cuba's once-grand colonial architecture is crumblingthe impact of decades of sanctions on its economy. To tackle the task, Alvarez developed his own bubble chamber, camera stabilizers and a computerized system for analyzing bubble photographs. He also created the Tesla Coil, induction motor, and neon lights, among others. From illegally installing rooftop radio antennas to record American music to hotwiring antique cars, Cubans are ingenious at figuring out workarounds to barriers that would otherwise keep them decades behind their neighbors. The New York-based Roswell Park Cancer Institute is evaluating CimaVax for use in the U.S. Learn more: Our Dad Invented the N95 Mask. The administration is also easing travel restrictions, allowing individuals to visit Cuba for "people to people" educational tours, whereas before Americans were only allowed to make such trips as part of a tour group. regional theatre auditions Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics Try this: Explore the history of the internet and find out what early web pages looked like. March 26, 2002. After earning his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires, he worked at the Institute of Physiology with Bernardo Houssay. He shared the prize with Carl Cori and Gerty Cori (ne Radnitz), pioneers in understanding the catalytic conversion of glycogen [sources: Magill; Nobel Prize; USASEF]. Known for: Bloodmobiles are a common sight these days, thanks to Dr. Drew. Try this: Watch this video to learn more about stem cells and their importance to modern medicine. He was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007. Perhaps theyll be inspired to become famous inventors themselves! Racotumomab targets a molecule that scientists believe is found on all cancer cells, which means the drug could one day be effective against blood cancers as well as the solid tumors that accompany diseases like lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer. Shes also known for the invention of closed-circuit TV. (July 4, 2014) http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/02/obituaries/luis-w-alvarez-nobel-physicist-who-explored-atom-dies-at-77.html, The Telegraph (UK). IUBMB Life. Spilling out of cafes and blasting from cars, music is a backdrop to daily life in Cuba. When the one-hour Internet cards sold at hotspots were prohibitively expensive (theyre more than $2double the average daily wage), savvy entrepreneurs started divvying them up and selling shorter, slower allotments. "Franklin R. Chang-Daz (Ph.D.)" September 2012. She has a degree in Secondary English Education and has taught in middle and high school classrooms. Read more about Cuban inventions in How communism turned Cuba into an island of hackers and DIY engineers, Lamps made from household items like glass jars and toothpaste tubes. Invented by researchers at the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana, CimaVax targets a growth factor in cancer cells in a way that can arrest the spread of the disease. In the late 19th century, it was improved upon by Sarah Boone, an African American woman who was born enslaved. Known for: When the Wright Flyer I took off from Kitty Hawk and flew for 12 seconds, the Wright brothers made history! Working against a wide-ranging embargo from the neighboring United States, Cubans have been getting along without many basic goods for half a century. Head and neck cancers make up approximately 3 percent of all cancers in the U.S., affecting about 52,000 Americans every year. Raul Castro, Fidels younger brother, has led the country since 2006. As a teenager, Estefan's family fled the Cuban. Learn more: The Legacy of Dr. George Washington Carver. "What I want is for this to come to clinical trials in the U.S., to give it a fair shot and see whether or not it lives up to its current promise, he said. During that time, Finlay didnt give up on his research. (July 4, 2014) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/98025/Alfonso-Caso-y-Andrade, Encyclopedia Britannica. Learn more: Ann Tsukamoto, Necessity is the Mother of Invention. This list may not reflect recent changes . Take these two eminent medical men both born in Caracas, Venezuela, whom you'll meet in a little bit. famous cuban inventions. A pacifist, he refused a series of defense industry positions during the Cold War arms race, instead conducting research and teaching physics at the University of the Redlands, Baghdad University, MIT, and Harvey Mudd College. Oct. 1, 2013. Much as fad diets might tell us to cut them out, energy-packed carbohydrates are essential to most life, thanks to two opposing chemical processes: combustion, which allows us to break down carbs and release energy needed for vital bodily processes, and synthesis, which enables us to use various sugars to build substances we need to live. For this reason is it hardly enjoyable for anyone involved, Oroza says. Please be respectful of copyright. 1947. According to Finlays son, the speech was greeted with initial silence, followed by universal ridicule. It took another two decades before Finlays hypothesis became widely accepted. 15 Famous Cuban-Americans Gloria Estefan Born in Havana, Estefan is arguably Cuba's most famous singer. (July 4, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/benacerraf-bio.html, Chang, Kenneth. (July 3, 2014) http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/crutzen-lecture.pdf, Encyclopedia Britannica. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Hes also received a Nobel Prize for his research on bacterial enzyme, which has enabled inventions related to synthesized RNA. Sep. 29, 2006. "Carlos Juan Finlay (1833 - 1915)." Top 100 Famous inventions and their inventors 3 years ago Salil Ahuja . He argued that evidence showed Indigenous peoples in the Americas formed their own cultures, independently of those in the Old World. He also developed Morse Code: a system of dots and dashes used to send these messages. Page 77. Countries of origin include: Argentina, Cuba, Spain, United States and Venezuela. "Award Ceremony Speech: Luis Alvarez." Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. Vol. Known for: While kids may not know Baers name, theyre sure to love his accomplishments. Try this: Screen movies using a homemade projector built with a cardboard box and a magnifying glass. 25. "Luis Federico Leloir." Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of people from five Latin American countries, including El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. Jenny Marder is a senior science writer for NASA and a freelance journalist. Learn more: Louis Daguerre, Inventor of Daguerreotype Photography (ThoughtCo). Learn more: Thomas David Petite, Readworks. Scientists just confirmed a 30-foot void first detected inside the monument years ago. Try this: Find an old CRT TV or monitor and learn how cathode ray tubes work using a strong magnet. Many of his other inventions were focused on helping the deaf, sparked by his desire to help his wife Mabel, who lost her hearing at the age of five. There is more to the list of famous Cubans than you can fathom. List of Cuban Americans - Wikipedia List of Cuban Americans Lists of Americans By US state By ethnicity or nationality Afghan African Americans African-American Jews Albanian Algerian Amish Angolan Antiguan and Barbudan Arab Argentine Armenian Asian Assyrian Australian Austrian Azerbaijani Bahamian Baloch Bangladeshi Barbadian Belarusian Belgian But despite early disappointment in U.S. trials, Dr. Dimitrios Colevas, a medical oncologist who specializes in new drug development for head and neck cancer at Stanford, says that Nimotuzumab may be unique compared to other cancer medicines that also target epidermal growth factor receptors, in that it doesnt seem to have the same toxic side effects. Known for: This Founding Father was an innovator in more ways than one, and he was among historys most famous inventors. Mexican-American botanist Ynes Mexia discovered two new plant genera and 500 new plant speciesand she didnt even start collecting plants until she was 51 years old [PDF]. Invented by scientists at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana, the treatment, which its creators describe as an epidermal growth factor, is injected near the affected area and can accelerate the skin's healing process, closing a wound safely over the course of about three months. Sure, politicized scientific issues like global climate change might instigate rancorous debate, but this smoke, though toxic in its own way, is nothing compared to the fire under which teachers, intellectuals and scientists have lived during many authoritarian regimes.