Brazil is a country of contrasts. Even though we are one of the largest economies of the world, we still struggle to reduce the huge gap between the richest and the poorest in our country. Even though urban areas in the coast are growing larger, like the swarming 20 million people in the São Paulo metropolitan area, the interior portion of Brazil still has low demographic density. Even though there is a growing number of universities in the country, functional illiteracy is still a big problem. Finally, even though Brazil has astounding natural ecosystems, we insist on destroying them in the name of development.

Science in Brazil is a reflection of our contrasts. Even though there are many important hubs of world-class research, they are mainly concentrated in São Paulo State. Moreover, most of our research is funded with public money, which explains the small number of patents registered by our country. Science education is also very poor in Brazil. This year, the Brazilian budget for science suffered a severe cut, an unacceptable decision for a country that aims to be a powerhouse in sustainable technologies, stem cell research, wildlife conservation and biofuel production.

ScienceBlogs Brazil has the challenge of bringing science to the Brazilian population. We aim to increase scientific awareness to the population and inspire new Brazilians to pursue a scientific career. We want to include scientific issues in the everyday talk. We want to make our local voice to be heard in the rest of the world. Finally, we believe Brazil should embrace science as a way to fulfill its potential and emerge as a sustainable country that brings development to its population.

Bem-vindos ao ScienceBlogs Brasil!