Reinhard Genzel appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences was founded in Rome on 17 August 1603 as the first exclusively scientific academy in the world, to which Galileo Galilei was appointed member in 1610. It was re-founded under its current name and statutes in 1936 with the mission “to honour pure science wherever it may be found, ensure its freedom and encourage research for the progress of science”.

The Academy has 80 Pontifical Academicians appointed for life following proposals by the Academic body and chosen without any form of ethnic or religious discrimination from scientists of the mathematical and experimental sciences of every country in the world. Their discussions and scientific papers are published by the Academy or jointly with other publishers.