St Petersburg University Professor named a laureate of the Top 50 Most Famous People in St Petersburg 2022 award

‘The list of winners and nominees for the Top 50 Most Famous People in St Petersburg award contains names of very different people, both in terms of areas of their interests and their public influence. These are: musicians; businessmen; popular bloggers; and actors. I must say, scientists are rarely found among the media darlings — for a person who is not in the public eye, spending most of his or her time in a laboratory, this is quite unusual. However, there might be positive effects of such interest from the media. The Sobaka.ru magazine enjoys a very wide readership. Some of its readers may, indeed, discover that in St Petersburg, there are not only interesting designers and producers, but also people of less public professions who receive special attention in the news media relatively rarely. And yet, we should be careful not to get too carried away,’ said Professor Maxim Vinarski, Head of the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University.

I am of the opinion that for a scientist, too much success and media attention creates more pitfalls than benefits. Everything is good in moderation.

Professor Maxim Vinarski, Head of the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University

"The Gospel of LUCA. Looking for the genealogy of animal world" tells about the animal kingdom and the origin of man. In the book, LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor) is a common ancestor of all living organisms on Earth. To find out what kind of creature it was, the reader learns about the almost billion-year history of emergence and evolution of multicellular organisms. Maxim Vinarski not only reveals the identity of LUCA, but also explains how scientists from across the globe managed to find it.

‘It is a strange situation we are living in now. On the one hand, our civilisation depends on science and technology-based innovations. Science is everywhere in our daily lives. On the other hand, the public’s perceptions of scientific concepts and theories are often heavily distorted. Beliefs in various pseudo-scientific and anti-scientific ideas have a strong influence over people. This is partly due to the fact that modern science is increasingly complex. Not only would you need to study long and hard, but also to work in science to understand it. Hence, the popularisation of science comes to bridge a gap in communication channels between science and society. The latter, by the way, not only benefits from scientific findings, but also pays for the work of scientists — through various state and non-state institutions. A shared understanding of the new realities shaping our world is essential for both society and science. Science popularisers help translate knowledge into action to ensure a two-way dialogue between science and society,’ emphasised Professor Vinarski.

The experience of learning about the world around us is utterly fascinating. If a popular science book is written in a clear and captivating style, it can attract talented young people to science, which is necessary for its flourishing and self-sustainability.

Professor Maxim Vinarski, Head of the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University

According to the author, "The Gospel of LUCA" is addressed to a wide audience of educated readers, non-biologists who would like to learn about the most recent achievements in the modern evolutionary theory and get acquainted with the main stages of animal evolution from the very first multicellular organisms to Homo sapiens.

Currently, research in the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University is at the top of my agenda; yet, I am not ruling out writing popular science books in the future. I have been successful in my first endeavour in this field, and I would like to continue.

Professor Maxim Vinarski, Head of the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University

‘Indeed, I have begun working on my next book. I cannot tell you yet what it is about. I may only say that I will try to make it as different as possible from the first one. However, the main theme is the same — the evolution of life on Earth and the destinies of the scientists who study it,’ Maxim Vinarski concluded.