Rebecca Borges

Once upon a time the famous physicist Albert Einstein was confronted by an overly concerned woman who sought advice on how to raise her small son to become a successful scientist. In particular she wanted to know what kinds of books she should read to her son.

‘Fairy Tales,’ Einstein responded without hesitation.

‘Fine, but what else should I read to him after that?’ the mother asked.

‘More fairy tales,’ Einstein stated.

‘And after that?’

‘Even more fairy tales,’ replied the great scientist, and he waved his pipe like a wizard pronouncing a happy end to a long adventure.

Jack Zipes, Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales (1979)

Data equivalent to 5 million laptops are produced everyday on our planet. It is a lot! But how much of it do we really need to learn about? As a marine ecologist, and an inhabitant of the Earth, I believe that environmental issues are among the most urgent lessons to be taught and learned. And not only among scientists: every single person on this planet has the right to understand, discuss, and contribute to the body of knowledge and to the decisions we make about our environment. Our actions today will shape our home tomorrow, and it is high time to start taking action. And what would be a better way to spread information and invite for action than in the form of a story?

I am grateful and excited to participate in the Once Upon a Time project, and I hope you join us and have fun in this adventure as well!