Theoretical Physicist Makes Very Real Wish For Africa

I've mentioned TED before - which in a nutshell a forum for bringing together an incredible group of thought leaders from all parts of the world and every imaginable discipline. Each year they have the TED Prize which "was created as a way of taking the inspiration, ideas and resources that are generated at TED and using them to make a difference. Although the winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, that's the least of what they get. The real prize is that they are granted a WISH. A wish to change the world."

This year the prize was awarded to theoretical physicist Neil Turok whose dream is to give smart, talented, young Africans starved of opportunity the chance to be "the next Einstein." He spearheaded the building of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and challenges the TED community with his "wish" to expand on this successful model by opening 15 new AIMS centers across Africa in five years.



Perhaps the next wish will be that once these centers are thriving and there are thousands of African scientists, they will be able to do their post educational work on the Continent itself.