Following a 10-year independent study, scientists in the U.S. have founded a multi-disciplinary center bringing together various sciences to explore the origins of humanity, the University of California (UC) said Tuesday.
The Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA),composed of experts from around the world, has been established by UC in San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla.
The center aims to further understanding about human and primate genetics and evolution, and advance knowledge in areas such as language, communication and cognition, human society and culture.
"CARTA is 'transdisciplinary,' meaning it transcends or goes beyond traditional disciplines, and breaks down the walls between them. In doing so, we are more likely to succeed, by eliminating the concept of individual disciplines, and instead looking at knowledge as a broad-based continuum," said the center's co-director, Ajit Varki, M.D., professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego.
For 10 years, researchers have been meeting regularly in La Jolla discussing topics related to the origins of humans, said Fred H. Gage, professor at the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute and co-director of CARTA.
"We are now ready to train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists to dig deeper into the question of human origins," said Gage, who is also a pioneer in the study of brain stem cells.
At CARTA, definitive answers are most likely to come from discussions and studies that bring together a wide variety of approaches in the biological, biomedical and social sciences, as well as aspects of the arts and humanities, with important technological input from the physical, chemical and computing sciences, said Varki.
The G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation, which has supported the symposia over the past 10 years, has committed 3million U.S. dollars to launching the new center.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article