The Most Extravagant Nobel Laureate Who Lived Up to 103 Years

The heroine of this story lived a very long life; the longest among Nobel prize winners. She was an amazing woman who became a scientist, despite her father’s objection. Not even the cruel dictates of Mussolini would interfere with her intention to advance science.
Rita Levi-Montalcini was the most extravagant Nobel Prize winner, and one of only a few women who have done so. She lived to be 103 years old and devoted her whole life to science. She was a neurobiologist and brain specialist who gained international recognition and legendary fame, making history with science, despite all the obstacles she faced...
TIMESTAMPS:
Career or family? 0:56
Why Rita’s scientific career was challenged 3:41
Great discovery 4:14
So what about family? 6:53
Secrets of her longevity 7:38
#NobelPrize #FamousWomen #brightside
SUMMARY:
- Rita was born in Italy on April 22, 1909 in a patriarchal family. Her mother, Adele Montalcini, was an artist. Her father, Adamo Levi was an engineer and mathematician.
- Her father loved his daughters very much and had a great respect for women in general, but he thought that their career would interfere with their duty as wives and mothers.
- The girls got a good domestic education, but Rita wasn’t going to be satisfied with the role of mother and wife.
- Against all her father’s objections, Rita spent 8 months learning Latin and biology all by herself, and entered the medical college of the University of Turin.
- After graduation, she started working as an assistant to a well-known scientist, Giuseppe Levi.
- In 1938, Rita’s scientific career was challenged when Mussolini issued an ordinance refusing to allow Jews to have a professional career.
- Later, she would say that she was grateful for this obstacle, as working at home by herself allowed her to achieve better results.
- Soon, American colleagues became interested in the results of her research. Viktor Hamburger, a neurobiologist and embryologist, was among them.
- Like any absurd idea of a young scientist, at first it wasn’t accepted by the scientific society. But still, Hamburger invited Rita to St. Louis and made her a staff scientist.
- The scientific community wasn’t very enthusiastic about the discovery. It was widely known then that the nerve tissue couldn’t regenerate or grow.
- And yet, Montalcini and Kohen turned out to be right, and discovered many other Growth Factors.
- Having made a remarkable career in the US, professor Levi-Montalcini came back to her homeland and devoted herself to developing science in Italy.
- Rita’s works in the US were instrumental in further research of cancer and Alzheimer disease.
- She never got married, and had no children, but it was her conscious decision.
- At the celebration of her 100th birthday at the European Brain Research Institute, which she'd founded herself, she said that she kept an amazing clarity of mind because of everyday work.
- Among other secrets or longevity that she shared was waking up early, going to bed at 11 pm, and moderate eating.
- In Italy, in 2001, she became a Senator for life. This title is only given to ex-presidents and the citizens who have brought glory to their homeland by their achievements in art and science.
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