Published: November 17th, 2021,
Last updated: November 17th, 2021

Chinese agricultural expert Yuan Longping was laid to rest with flags and fanfare on Monday. The scientist, who passed away at the age of 90, received a state funeral. By breeding particularly high-yielding hybrid rice varieties, Yuan helped prevent terrible famines in China. The funeral was not even the highest of all honors: In 1999, a minor planet was named after him.