Cyril Ponnamperuma
Encyclopedia
Dr. Cyril Andrew Ponnamperuma (Sinhala: ආචාර්ය සිරිල් ඇන්ඩ්රු පොන්නම්පෙරුම) (16 October 1923 – 20 December 1994) was a Sri Lanka
n scientist in the fields of chemical evolution
and the origin of life.
, Sri Lanka
on 16 October 1923. After completing his early education with flying colours at St. Aloysius' College, Galle and subsequently at St. Joseph's College, Colombo
, Ponnamperuma proceeded to India
and in 1948 obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in philosophy
from the University of Madras
.
Later he moved to the United Kingdom
and enrolled at Birkbeck, University of London
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science
degree in chemistry
in 1959.
At the same time he had the opportunity to work with Professor J. D. Bernal, a pioneering scientist engaged in research on the origin of life. Afterwards he proceeded to the United States, where in 1962 he received a doctorate in chemistry
from the University of California, Berkeley
under the direction of the Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin
.
In 1962, he was honoured with a National Academy of Science resident associateship with NASA
at Ames Research Center
. In 1963 he joined NASA's Exobiology Division and take over the helm of the Chemical Evolution Division. He was selected as the principal investigator for analysis of lunar soil
brought to earth by Project Apollo
.
Thereafter, he was closely involved with NASA in the Viking
and Voyager
programmes and was offered membership in both the Space Science Advisory Council and Life Sciences Advisory Council of NASA.
According to Arthur C. Clarke
, "No other scientist of Sri Lankan origin was internationally known and respected as he was". He produced over 400 scientific publications and held a number of prestigious academic posts during his rather short lifespan.
His studies focused mainly towards the origin of life, but only after he was selected for the analysis of the moon dust in the 'Apollo Programme' his name and photo appeared on the cover-pages of world class newspapers and magazines such as Time
and Newsweek
.
The "Third World Academy of Sciences" (TWAS) based in Trieste
, Italy
elected him as its vice president in 1989 and appointed him Chairman of the International Network of Science Centres in selected developing Countries. He contributed immensely to the Third World Foundation of North America as its Chairman.
He was the first director of the "Arthur C. Clarke Centre for Modern Technologies" in Sri Lanka, and in 1984 was appointed science advisor to the President of Sri Lanka by the late President J. R. Jayewardene
. He was so fortunate, indeed, as to be associated with many universities in the USA and other countries. He served as a distinguished Lecturer at the Soviet Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences
for a considerable period.
The Atomic Energy Commission of India
offered him an assignment as a visiting Professor in 1967. UNESCO
appointed him for a period covering 1970-1971 as its Director of the Programme for the development of basic research in Sri Lanka. After that, in his endeavour to widen the horizon of knowledge of the fellow human beings the distinguished Academic apex he selected was University of Maryland
in USA. Since 1971 he provided his service to that University as a Professor of Chemistry as well as the Director of the laboratory of chemical evolution.
His contribution to the development of International Programmes of that University was acknowledged in deserved manner in January 1991, the first distinguished International Service Award was presented to him by that university. Among the many awards that Professor Ponnamperuma received one can mention the "Alexander Oparin Gold Medal" for the 'Best sustained Programme' on the origin of life awarded by the International Society for the study of the origin of life in 1980. In recognition of his service to Sri Lanka, he was conferred, "The Honour of Vidya Jyothy" at the 1990 National Day investiture ceremony by President Ranasinghe Premadasa
.
The presence of this great son of Sri Lanka, was so conspicuous all over the world as to be nominated to the prestigious Pontical Academy of Sciences, a body represented by world-renowned scientists who excelled in the spheres of mathematical and experimental sciences.
The Academy of Creative Endeavors, Moscow
, awarded him the Harold Urey
Prize and the Academy Medal for his outstanding contribution to the study of the origin of life.
His participation in the Sri Lankan scientific arena began in 1984, when he became the science adviser to the late Sri Lanka President J. R. Jayewardena. Within a matter of months he was appointed Director of the Institute of Fundamental Studies. His country was fortunate to have a son so highly recognized in the world and so dedicated to many public causes. His organisational abilities and communication skills have been widely acknowledged.
He died soon after suffering a heart attack at the Laboratory of Chemical Evolution, University of Maryland
USA.
The remains of Professor Cyril Ponnamperuma were flown to Colombo
on January 9, 1995.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n scientist in the fields of chemical evolution
Abiogenesis
Abiogenesis or biopoesis is the study of how biological life arises from inorganic matter through natural processes, and the method by which life on Earth arose...
and the origin of life.
Biography
Cyril Ponnamperuma was born in GalleGalle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
on 16 October 1923. After completing his early education with flying colours at St. Aloysius' College, Galle and subsequently at St. Joseph's College, Colombo
St. Joseph's College, Colombo
St. Joseph's College is a Catholic educational institution in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was established in 1896 by French missionaries, with Rev Christopher Ernst Bonjean playing a leading role. The college has over 4000 students with a staff of over 200...
, Ponnamperuma proceeded to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and in 1948 obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
.
Later he moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and enrolled at Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1959.
At the same time he had the opportunity to work with Professor J. D. Bernal, a pioneering scientist engaged in research on the origin of life. Afterwards he proceeded to the United States, where in 1962 he received a doctorate in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
under the direction of the Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin
Melvin Calvin
Melvin Ellis Calvin was an American chemist most famed for discovering the Calvin cycle along with Andrew Benson and James Bassham, for which he was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He spent most of his five-decade career at the University of California, Berkeley.- Life :Calvin was born...
.
In 1962, he was honoured with a National Academy of Science resident associateship with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
at Ames Research Center
NASA Ames Research Center
The Ames Research Center , is one of the United States of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration 10 major field centers.The centre is located in Moffett Field in California's Silicon Valley, near the high-tech companies, entrepreneurial ventures, universities, and other...
. In 1963 he joined NASA's Exobiology Division and take over the helm of the Chemical Evolution Division. He was selected as the principal investigator for analysis of lunar soil
Lunar soil
Lunar soil is the fine fraction of the regolith found on the surface of the Moon. Its properties can differ significantly from those of terrestrial soil...
brought to earth by Project Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
.
Thereafter, he was closely involved with NASA in the Viking
Viking program
The Viking program consisted of a pair of American space probes sent to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts, an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander designed to study the planet from the surface...
and Voyager
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
programmes and was offered membership in both the Space Science Advisory Council and Life Sciences Advisory Council of NASA.
According to Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, "No other scientist of Sri Lankan origin was internationally known and respected as he was". He produced over 400 scientific publications and held a number of prestigious academic posts during his rather short lifespan.
His studies focused mainly towards the origin of life, but only after he was selected for the analysis of the moon dust in the 'Apollo Programme' his name and photo appeared on the cover-pages of world class newspapers and magazines such as Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
.
The "Third World Academy of Sciences" (TWAS) based in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
elected him as its vice president in 1989 and appointed him Chairman of the International Network of Science Centres in selected developing Countries. He contributed immensely to the Third World Foundation of North America as its Chairman.
He was the first director of the "Arthur C. Clarke Centre for Modern Technologies" in Sri Lanka, and in 1984 was appointed science advisor to the President of Sri Lanka by the late President J. R. Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
. He was so fortunate, indeed, as to be associated with many universities in the USA and other countries. He served as a distinguished Lecturer at the Soviet Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
for a considerable period.
The Atomic Energy Commission of India
Atomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
offered him an assignment as a visiting Professor in 1967. UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
appointed him for a period covering 1970-1971 as its Director of the Programme for the development of basic research in Sri Lanka. After that, in his endeavour to widen the horizon of knowledge of the fellow human beings the distinguished Academic apex he selected was University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in USA. Since 1971 he provided his service to that University as a Professor of Chemistry as well as the Director of the laboratory of chemical evolution.
His contribution to the development of International Programmes of that University was acknowledged in deserved manner in January 1991, the first distinguished International Service Award was presented to him by that university. Among the many awards that Professor Ponnamperuma received one can mention the "Alexander Oparin Gold Medal" for the 'Best sustained Programme' on the origin of life awarded by the International Society for the study of the origin of life in 1980. In recognition of his service to Sri Lanka, he was conferred, "The Honour of Vidya Jyothy" at the 1990 National Day investiture ceremony by President Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989...
.
The presence of this great son of Sri Lanka, was so conspicuous all over the world as to be nominated to the prestigious Pontical Academy of Sciences, a body represented by world-renowned scientists who excelled in the spheres of mathematical and experimental sciences.
The Academy of Creative Endeavors, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, awarded him the Harold Urey
Harold Urey
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934...
Prize and the Academy Medal for his outstanding contribution to the study of the origin of life.
His participation in the Sri Lankan scientific arena began in 1984, when he became the science adviser to the late Sri Lanka President J. R. Jayewardena. Within a matter of months he was appointed Director of the Institute of Fundamental Studies. His country was fortunate to have a son so highly recognized in the world and so dedicated to many public causes. His organisational abilities and communication skills have been widely acknowledged.
He died soon after suffering a heart attack at the Laboratory of Chemical Evolution, University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
USA.
The remains of Professor Cyril Ponnamperuma were flown to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
on January 9, 1995.