Tribute to Georgios Papanikolaou, who passed away on 19/02/1962

Georgios Papanikolaou, the Greek scientist who discovered the Pap test, on "Time Machine".

"Time Machine" sheds light on little-known aspects of his life and his childhood in Kymi. Throughout his life, the doctor was a determined individual. As a young man, he wanted to correct a congenital anatomical issue with his knees. He did not hesitate to break them himself to achieve a better aesthetic result.

The episode focuses on his passion for perfection, his decision to move to America, and the struggles of his early years there—playing the violin at night in entertainment venues and selling carpets in the morning to make ends meet. Papanikolaou had an unwavering passion for research and sacrificed every personal pleasure for his scientific pursuits.

The documentary presents his daily struggles and the experiments in which even his own wife volunteered to participate, allowing the Greek scientist to lay the foundation for detecting cancerous cells. Those who knew him personally speak of his initial disappointment and the lukewarm reception of his research.

The long-awaited recognition came with the famous Pap test, the only preventive method that has since saved millions of women worldwide from cervical cancer.

And yet! This groundbreaking discovery did not earn him the Nobel Prize in Medicine, as he appears to have fallen victim to other interests at play.