Jose Reis

José Reis was a Brazilian scientist, journalist and science writer who was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1907. He studied medicine in Rio de Janeiro and graduated in 1930. He then worked as a physician and professor in various cities. He also devoted himself to scientific exploration, especially in the field of ornithopathology, the study of diseases of birds. He founded the Museu Paraense (later renamed Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi) in Belém, where he collected and studied specimens of fauna, flora, and minerals. He also conducted archaeological investigations in the coastal and riverine areas of Pará, where he discovered and excavated several shell mounds, or sambaquis, that contained human and animal bones, pottery, and stone tools. He published many scientific papers and reports on his findings, and shared his knowledge with other scholars, such as Paul Gerson Unna, Oswaldo Cruz, and Louis Agassiz. He started his activities as a science communicator in the 1930s, writing for the magazine Chacaras e Quintaes. In 1947, he began a column of science divulgation in the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, which he maintained for 55 years, until his death. He also wrote books and pamphlets for the general public, explaining the concepts and discoveries of science and medicine. He was a close friend of Emperor Pedro II and a supporter of the monarchy. He was also an active member of the abolitionist movement, along with other prominent figures such as Joaquim Nabuco and José do Patrocínio. He founded the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC) in 1948, and was its president for several terms. He received many awards and honors for his contributions to science and society, such as the Kalinga Prize from UNESCO in 1974, and the Order of Scientific Merit from the Brazilian government in 1995. He died of pneumonia in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2002, at the age of 94. He is regarded as one of the most influential and respected Brazilian science communicators, and has inspired many generations of scientists and journalists. ¹