Press News

Budapest, March 3, 2005

The University of All Knowledge has reached the one hundredth lecture. The audience of the jubilee lecture can enjoy Vizi E. Szilveszter's "Drugs - the myth of creativity and the reality of destruction".

The 100th jubilee lecture in the University of All Knowledge series will be given by brain researcher Vizi E. Szilveszter, president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He delivered the first lecture when the program started and now he will be the speaker at this remarkable event too. It is important for the 100th lecture to show a direction and discuss a topic that interests broad sectors of society. Vizi E. Szilveszter's lecture entitled "Drugs - the myth of creativity and the reality of destruction" starts at 7.30 p.m. on March 7 at the University of Technical and Economic Sciences. Besides addressing the biochemical and neurological effects of the various drugs, the lecturer will also present examples from the arts to illustrate the dangers of drug use and why the euphoria evoked by drugs cannot be the source of lasting and fulfilling joy.

Two and a half years ago, when the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Matáv and the management of Axelero Internet decided to launch the program the founders formulated three basic objectives: to make a competitive place for science in the media, to popularize Hungarian scientists and to enrich value-based Hungarian-language culture. It speaks for the social recognition of the program that in 2004 it won the Prima Primissima award in the education and public education category. Hungarian PR agencies also honored the University of All Knowledge with the professional "Süveg" (Cap) prize in 2004. Almost two thirds of Hungary’s adult population have heard about the University of All Knowledge, two fifths have seen its lectures on television and over 80 per cent consider it important to have a dialogue between scientists and lay people interested in sciences. The first 100 lectures were attended by a total of 26,000 people and about 200,000-300,000 viewers followed them on television every week. The number of internet page impressions has reached five million.