Never, ever stop exploring
- Wits University
Lee Berger tells Science graduands that many more discoveries are out there waiting to be made.
The award-winning researcher, explorer, author and speaker addressed graduands in the Faculty of Science today, 23 March 2015, during the March Graduation Cluster.
“As young scientists, expect new discoveries. Be positive,” Berger said as he relayed how his explorations the past two decades have led, among others, to the discovery of two new species of early human relatives: Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi.
These are among his extraordinary body of work that has featured three times on the cover of prestigious journal, Science, and that have been named among the top 100 science stories of the year by Time, Scientific American and Discover Magazine on numerous occasions.
“You can build your own empires but it takes hard work. Never stop learning. Ever. You cannot have too much education. You cannot have too many degrees. Learn wherever possible, it is the only thing you will ever own that will always be valuable,” he said.
About Professor Lee Berger:
Berger is the Research Professor in Human Evolution and the Public Understanding of Science, and the Division Director of Palaeoanthropology in the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits. His contributions to exploration sciences have also resulted in advances in the field of applied exploration methods and the application of technology to exploration, excavation and discovery.
He is also the author of more than two hundred scholarly and popular works including more than 100 refereed papers and a number of academic and popular books on palaeontology, natural history, and exploration.