RISTO NÄÄTÄNEN 75!
Happy 75th birthday Risto Näätänen!
It was Bernard of Chartres who introduced the metaphor of dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants in the 12th century. This metaphor was an inspiration to Sir Isaac Newton for his famous expression, directed mockingly to his challenger Robert Hook, in a letter from 1676: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” We all—Risto’s students, colleagues, and friends—are extremely happy standing on the shoulders of Risto who has seen farther, deeper, and more clearly than anybody else.
ISI Highly Cited highlighted the people who have made fundamental contributions to the advancement of science between 2000 and 2008. There are very few individuals who were among the 250 most-cited researchers in two separate disciplines simultaneously, neuroscience and psychiatry/psychology. There is no question that Risto Näätänen is from a rare Nobel category of scientists.
Fortunately, the Google Scholar allows creating and maintaining personal profile of scholars. Being always updated we can learn that Risto’s papers have been cited more than 43,000 times and his h-index 107 is by far beyond his current age.
It is a great privilege to enjoy the personal charm and wisdom emanating from Risto’s mere presence. Risto’s students, colleagues, and friends wish that his sharp and youthful mind will continue to surprise and hearten us with a flow of new ideas!