WHAT'S the most important thing of life?
WHAT
'S
the
most
important
thing
of
life
?
People's answers vary greatly.
People
's
answers
vary
greatly
.
For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child.
For
British
scientist
Robert
Edwards
,
the
answer
is
having
a
child
.
"Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.
``
Nothing
is
more
special
than
a
child
,
''
he
told
the
BBC
.
Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology--more commonly known as" testtube baby" technology--passed away on April 10,2013 at the age of 87.
Edwards
,
the
inventor
of
the
In
Vitro
Fertilization
(
IVF
)
technology
--
more
commonly
known
as
''
testtube
baby
''
technology
--
passed
away
on
April
10
,2013
at
the
age
of
87
.
Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, professor at King's College London.
Edwards
changed
the
lives
of
millions
of
ordinary
people
who
now
rejoice
in
the
gift
of
their
own
child
,
''
said
Peter
Braude
,
professor
at
King
's
College
London
.
"He leaves the world a much better place."
``
He
leaves
the
world
a
much
better
place
.
''
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics.
Edwards
started
his
experiments
as
early
as
the
1950s
,
when
he
had
just
finished
his
PhD
in
genetics
.
At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as" scary", according to Mark Sauer, professor at Columbia University, US.
At
that
time
,
much
of
the
public
viewed
test-tube
babies
as
''
scary
''
,
according
to
Mark
Sauer
,
professor
at
Columbia
University
,
US
.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists.
Edwards
and
his
colleague
Patrick
Steptoe
faced
opposition
from
churches
,
governments
and
media
,
not
to
mention
attacks
from
many
of
their
fellow
scientists
.
"People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times.
``
People
said
that
we
should
not
play
God
and
we
should
not
interfere
with
nature
,
''
Edwards
once
told
Times
.
He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.
He
said
that
he
felt
``
quite
alone
''
at
the
time
.
"But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer.
``
But
Edwards
was
a
fighter
,
and
he
believed
in
what
he
was
doing
,
''
said
Sauer
.
Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on.
Without
support
from
the
government
,
the
two
struggled
to
raise
funds
to
carry
on
.
And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
And
in
1968
they
finally
developed
a
method
to
successfully
fertilize
human
eggs
outside
the
body
.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25,1978.Her name was Louise Brown.
The
first
test-tube
baby
was
born
on
July
25,1978.Her
name
was
Louise
Brown
.
Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.
Despite
people
's
safety
concerns
,
Brown
was
just
as
healthy
as
other
children
.
"IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.
``
IVF
had
moved
from
vision
to
reality
and
a
new
era
in
medicine
had
begun
,
''
BBC
commented
.
Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably.
Ever
since
then
,
public
opinion
has
evolved
considerably
.
Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging to Edwards' clinic.
Couples
who
were
unable
to
have
babies
began
thronging
to
Edwards
'
clinic
.
Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other" test-tube" children exist.
Nowadays
,
Reuters
reports
,
some
4.3
million
other
''
test-tube
''
children
exist
.
Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II the following year.
Edwards
received
a
Nobel
Prize
in
2010
and
was
knighted
by
Queen
Elizabeth
II
the
following
year
.
Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise.
Before
his
death
,
Edwards
was
still
in
touch
with
Louise
.
"He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
``
He
is
like
a
granddad
to
me
,
''
she
said
in
an
interview
with
the
Daily
Mail
.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.
He
is
a
granddad
to
millions
,
in
fact
.
WHAT'S the most important thing of life?  People's answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child. "Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.  Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology--more commonly known as" testtube baby" technology--passed away on April 10,2013 at the age of 87.  Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, professor at King's College London. "He leaves the world a much better place."  Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as" scary", according to Mark Sauer, professor at Columbia University, US.  Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists. "People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.  "But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer. Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.  The first test-tube baby was born on July 25,1978.Her name was Louise Brown. Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.  "IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.  Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging to Edwards' clinic. Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other" test-tube" children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II the following year.  Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise. "He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.  He is a granddad to millions, in fact.