Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches 9 more about the human brain and can better understand this fundamental organ for exercising the capabilities that make our species so unique.We are obliged oncemore to recall here our countryman Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the founder of neurobiology, who, at the beginning of the last century, already intuited that the dogma of non-regeneration of the pathways of the central nervous system would be experimentally refuted. It was precisely Joseph Altman who reported processes of neurogenesis in the mammalian brain in the 1960s, thereby formulating the innovative idea that brain neurons can be regenerated. Cerebral plasticity thus became a fact with a well founded anatomical basis. Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, a Mexican citizen of Spanish stock and deeply proud of his Asturian roots, took up Altman’s thesis to identify germinal regions in the brain, where new neurons as well as what are known as glial cells continually develop throughout life thanks to the stem cells present there. He has also delved into the processes of migration of these new neurons leading to their permanent insertion in different regions of the brain, which may contribute to tackling the problems associated with tumours in this organ. Finally, Giacomo Rizzolatti discovered the existence of what are known as mirror neurons, which are activated not only when carrying out an action, but also when observing how a peer does so. A discovery that allows us, as the social creatures that we are, to understand the actions, intentions and emotions of others, not only through conceptual reasoning, but also via direct simulation. “Feeling”, says Rizzolatti, “not thinking.” All these findings and all this research have both profoundly and definitively changed our way of understanding the brain. It is fascinating to ascertain the basis of this cerebral plasticity, thanks to which we are able to learn, empathise, create and communicate with one another. The work of our Laureates also opens up new pathways for treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as for explaining —and possibly soon treating— disorders such as autism. Feeling is what we do, above all, when we read the poems and listen to the music of Leonard Cohen, who has received the Award for Literature. We feel all the power of a body of work produced with constancy, talent and sincerity. Reading and listening to Cohen is, effectively, to feel the force of someone who writes and sings directly to the heart; to feel the sincere assertion that it was poets such as Lorca and Machado that shed light on his deepest doubts and certainties; it is also to feel the commitment of someone who, without forsaking his beloved Canada, his roots or his forebears, explores human nature, seeking out answers, solutions, a sort of reconciliation that brings our hearts closer together, aiming to make poetry and music an eternal meeting place for fraternal understanding. Cohen tells us “It is not to tell you anything / But to live forever / That I write this.” So lives Leonard Cohen... with irony and an acute sense of humour, with flashes of light and outstanding imagination, unable to staunch the abundance and richness of his ideas, words, notes and songs. Several generations have read and listened, as we have, to his creations with admiration and respect, creations that already form part of our musical history and our collective memory. We recognize his great body of work and thank him for his coherence, for the beauty of his words, for not having renounced what has made him an admired and admirable artist, a friend with whom to tread the paths of life and of the irresistible force of love. The great athlete Haile Gebrselassie, who has received the Award for Sports, is an idol for millions of people around the world and dearly loved, especially in his home country, Ethiopia. Strength of will and the spirit of sacrifice are the norm in him. The norm to attain success as a sportsman and to demonstrate that the most difficult of challenges can be overcome with tenacious persistence and a great heart. His feats have thrilled us throughout his career. We imagine him when he was a mere child running barefoot 20 kilometres a day to and from school, his schoolbooks held firmly under his “Let us all shoulder our responsibilities and promote a collective spirit of hope and enthusiasm.”