Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: TWAS , until 2004 named Third World Academy of Sciences and now TWAS , the academy of sciences for the developing world , is a merit-based science academy uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries .
Simplified: The name was changed to TWAS , the academy of sciences for the developing world in 2004 . TWAS is a science academy uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries .