El pasado jueves, 8 de febrero, con motivo del Día Internacional de las Mujeres y las Niñas en la Ciencia, la investigadora predoctoral del IFT Carmen Gómez-Fayrén de las Heras impartió una charla de divulgación acerca de Piedad de la Cierva, única mujer miembro del CSIC en su constitución, destacando también el papel de otras muchas mujeres, pioneras como ella, que fueron duramente silenciadas en aquella época.
Carmen Gómez-Fayrén de las Heras es sobrina-nieta de la propia Piedad de la Cierva e investigadora predoctoral en el Instiuto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC.
El vídeo de la charla está ya disponible en el canal de YouTube del IFT.
The Julius Wess Award 2023 of the KIT Center Elementary Particle and Astroparticle Physics (KCETA) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will be presented on February 9, 2024 to Prof. Dr. Belén Gavela (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC).
Prof. Gavela receives the prize in recognition of her significant contributions in the field of theoretical and phenomenological particle physics, with particular emphasis on CP violation and flavor physics in quarks and leptons, on the study of neutrino oscillations and on effective field theories related to electroweak symmetry breaking.
The ceremony will take place on February 9, from 16:30 to 21:00 at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
For an overview of Prof. Gavela’s research interests, we recommend watching the video of the talk (in Spanish) that she gave at the Residencia de Estudiantes on the occasion of Science Week 2021.
Title: The Invisible Universe
Abstract: Particle physics includes an almost undetectable sector, the neutrinos, whose exotic properties may hold the key to some of the greatest mysteries of the universe, such as matter-antimatter asymmetry. We will also discuss the visible sector of the universe, exploring the nature of the dark matter and dark energy that make up 95% of the energy density of the cosmos.
The Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences grants Irene Valenzuela the Award doe Young Women Scientific Talent in the category of ‘Physics and Chemistry.’
The objective of the awards is to create female role models in Spanish science.
The Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences celebrated its IV Edition of the Awards for Young Female Scientific Talent, recognizing Irene Valenzuela Agüí, a researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT UAM-CSIC) and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), with the award in the category of ‘Physics and Chemistry.’
Likewise, the awards have recognized the career of Rosa María Crujeiras Casais in the category of ‘Mathematics’; Blanca Ausín González in ‘Biology and Geology’; and Isabel Oller Alberola in ‘Applications of Science to Technology.’
The award for young female talent in ‘Physics and Chemistry’ has been granted to researcher Irene Valenzuela for her study in quantum gravity and string theory and its implications in physics, particles, and cosmology. In the words of the awardee: “With this award, I would like to encourage, especially, girls and young women to pursue what they are passionate about and follow their scientific vocation.”
The awards were presented by María Ángeles Gil, numerary academic of the Mathematics Section; Miguel Ángel Alario, numerary academic of the Physics and Chemistry Section; Laia Alegret, numerary academic of the Biology and Geology Section; and Paloma Real, general director of Mastercard Spain. In this last edition, 400 valid nominations were received, of which 23 corresponded to the ‘Mathematics’ category, 80 to ‘Physics and Chemistry,’ 185 to ‘Biology and Geology,’ and 112 to ‘Applications of Science to Technology.’
With these awards, which take place on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11), the organizers hope to create role models to combat the gender gap in STEM careers.
Carmen Gómez-Fayrén de las Heras, a predoctoral researcher at the IFT, will deliver an informative talk about the life of Piedad de la Cierva, the only female member of the CSIC at its inception.
The lecture will take place on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 7:00 PM in the auditorium of the IFT.
Piedad de la Cierva Viudes was a pioneer scientist from Murcia, and the only woman member of the CSIC in its first constitution. Throughout her career she studied various subjects such as radioactivity and optics.
Other pioneering women like her, and also men, were harshly silenced due to the context of the time, leaving a muted footprint in their respective fields of work.
In the little documentation that records the life of Pilar de la Cierva, she herself writes that she was a witness of exceptional years in which women were beginning to set foot in the university and the sciences.
The talk will be given by Carmen Gómez-Fayrén de las Heras, grandniece of Piedad de la Cierva herself and predoctoral researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Physics UAM-CSIC.
The aim of this talk is to pay tribute to all those women who suffered discrimination and repression, as well as to tell the interesting trajectory of Piedad de la Cierva with the deserved sensitivity.
Thursday, February 8, 2024, in the auditorium of IFT @ 19:00.
Admission is free and open until full capacity is reached.
Indira Ocampo Justiniano, a predoctoral researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT UAM-CSIC), has been selected as a recipient of one of the prestigious grants from the European Space Agency’s Visitor Program.
The ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme provides a unique opportunity for scientists at all career levels affiliated with institutes in ESA Member States and Collaborating States.
Ocampo has been chosen to participate in the program, which aims to maximize the scientific output from ESA’s space science missions. Indira’s research area focuses on “Machine Learning the cosmological large-scale structure of the universe with Planck and Euclid.” During her three months residence, Indira will conduct her research at ESTEC (Noordwijk, Netherlands).
The program offers visiting scientists the opportunity to interact with archive and mission specialists for questions on the retrieval, calibration, and analysis of archival data. All areas of space research covered by ESA science missions can be supported, and applicants are encouraged to consult the table of expertise and contact relevant scientists in their field of interest.
Congratulations to Indira Ocampo for this achievement!
Belén Gavela, a foundational member of the Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT) since its inception, affiliated with the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has been honored with the distinguished Julius Wess Award 2023 by the KIT Center for Elementary Particle and Astroparticle Physics (KCETA) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Belén Gavela’s groundbreaking research has fostered our understanding of the fundamental nature of particles and their interactions. Her investigations into CP violation and flavor physics in quarks and leptons have unveiled critical insights into the asymmetry between matter and antimatter, one of the profound mysteries of particle behavior.
Moreover, her exploration of the dynamics of neutrino oscillations has been pivotal in comprehending the elusive properties of neutrinos, shedding light on their oscillatory nature and oscillation probabilities, which are crucial in the study of neutrino masses and mixing and their CP properties.
Belén Gavela is also one of the founders of the subfield of weak matrix elements on the lattice, the latter being a theoretical framework used in particle physics to discretize spacetime into a grid-like structure, enabling calculations and simulations of quantum field theories on a finite grid.
In addition, Belén Gavela’s work in investigating effective field theories associated with electroweak symmetry breaking stands out. Her theoretical insights into the fundamental forces and the mechanisms underlying the breaking of electroweak symmetry have significantly enriched our understanding of the building blocks of the universe.
Se acerca el momento de ver el resultado final del reto #YoFísicaEnLaCalle. El lunes 12 de febrero a las 10:00 lanzamos el vídeo resumen en el canal de YouTube del IFT, ¡no os lo perdáis!
Este año, con #YoFisicaEnLaCalle, os propusimos salir al patio de vuestro cole o instituto o a la calle de vuestro barrio y preguntar sobre física. Estamos felices de que os hayáis animado y sobre todo esperamos que os hayáis divertido mucho haciéndolo.
Podéis ver todos los vídeos que nos habéis enviado en esta galería de nuestra Web, y también en el canal de YouTube IFT11F.
¡Muchas gracias a todas las personas que habéis participado!
La iniciativa #YoFisicaEnLaCalle del Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC invita a jóvenes a entrevistar a transeúntes en vídeo sobre conceptos de física, fomentando conversaciones informales que involucren a la comunidad en la divulgación científica.
Los vídeos se recopilarán en un contenido audiovisual único que se compartirá en los canales de YouTube y TikTok del IFT, buscando alcanzar a una amplia audiencia digital y promover la participación en la ciencia.
El Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT UAM-CSIC) saca la ciencia a las calles con su nueva propuesta para el Día Internacional de las Mujeres y las Niñas en la Ciencia: #YoFisicaEnLaCalle. El certamen de vídeos busca celebrar el trabajo de científicas en el campo de la física mientras involucra a la sociedad en la exploración y difusión del conocimiento científico.
Este año, el IFT se aventura a llevar la física a la comunidad con #YoFisicaEnLaCalle, desafiando a las y los jóvenes a compartir cuestiones sobre física en su entorno.
Desde su inicio en 2020 con #YoFisica, la iniciativa ha evolucionado a través de diversas formas de expresión, incluyendo #YouTubersPorUnDia, #YoFisicaEnComic y la incursión más reciente en febrero de 2023 con #YoFisicaEnTikTok. Con cerca de mil contribuciones en forma de vídeos y dibujos, esta iniciativa ha logrado involucrar a miles de personas, convirtiéndose en un referente en la divulgación científica.
El desafío: convertirse en entrevistador/a acerca de cuestiones relativas a la física
Esta edición invita a estudiantes de colegios e institutos a salir a los patios escolares, las plazas y las calles de sus barrios para entrevistar a transeúntes sobre física. Grabando estas interacciones en vídeo, se busca crear un intercambio de conocimiento y destacar el rol de las mujeres en la ciencia.
Las personas participantes podrán diseñar sus propias preguntas sobre física y científicas, o bien obtenerlas de la información proporcionada en la página web oficial de la iniciativa.
Los vídeos resultantes, previa obtención de los consentimientos requeridos, se combinarán en un único contenido audiovisual. Este se publicará en el canal de YouTube del IFT, con más de 700 000 seguidores, además del canal de TikTok y una galería especial en la página web del Instituto. La fecha de publicación está programada para el 11 de febrero de 2024, en conmemoración del Día Internacional de las Mujeres y las Niñas en la Ciencia. Además, todos los vídeos aparecerán íntegros en el canal IFT 11 Febrero.
Para participar en #YoFisicaEnLaCalle, se solicita enviar los vídeos antes del 21 de enero a la dirección de correo: yofisica.ift@gmail.com. Toda la información y orientaciones para la creación de los vídeos se encuentran disponibles en la página web oficial de la iniciativa y en este documento:
The CSIC centers in Cantoblanco Campus bring science to the streets with a mega event and concert at the 12 de Octubre Hospital
As in previous editions, these research institutes will host a school fair and another event for the general public, featuring a live band performance this year.
The CSIC centers on the Cantoblanco campus are coming together once again to bring science to a diverse audience during the European Night of Researchers. After surpassing their own record last year by gathering a thousand people, on September 29, 2023, they will join forces with the 12 de Octubre Hospital to organize the mega-event “All Science: CSIC Night at the 12th,” which will culminate in a live band concert.
The 12 de Octubre Hospital is carrying out a comprehensive project to promote culture and science, including various activities such as concerts, lectures, theater performances, workshops, and exhibitions aimed at patients, their families, and professionals. The goal of these actions is for society to perceive the hospital not only as one of the most prestigious national and international healthcare centers working to improve the health and quality of life of patients and their families with state-of-the-art technology and nearly 7,000 professionals but also as a space oriented toward educational and research purposes.
With this premise, it joins the 10 CSIC centers located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Madrid. Thanks to this alliance, in addition to the traditional outreach activities offered by these centers, covering a wide range of topics such as materials science, theoretical physics, mathematics, food science, biology, or nanoscience and science cooperation, the 12 de Octubre’s offerings will have a special place at the fair.
The event’s organization follows the same pattern as in previous years, but with special surprises. In the morning of September 29, school classes (primary and secondary, in two consecutive shifts that must be reserved in advance in the days leading up to the event) will be welcomed to enjoy a guided tour of various “stations” with various scientific experiments. This will be combined, as tradition dictates, with the famous “Escape Road: In Search of Nobel and Non-Nobel Women,” which has been highly successful after years of touring Spain and will also be available in the afternoon.
“Participants will enjoy scientific workshops led by specialists throughout the morning and take part in a scavenger hunt related to women awarded with the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal, and the Abel Prize,” explains Silvia Gallego, a researcher at the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid (ICMM), CSIC, and the project coordinator.
In the afternoon, the general public will have the opportunity to visit, also by reservation at no cost, the space where these eleven centers (10 CSIC + 12 de Octubre) will offer scientific workshops. Have you ever wondered about the role of taste and smell when enjoying food? Do you know what a vacuum is? What does catalysis mean? How is biotechnology done with plants? Can you see sound? What is nanoscience all about? All of these questions, and much more, will be answered in fun and interactive workshops for all ages, led by experts in scientific communication as masters of ceremonies.
Of course, the hospital itself will have a prominent space, where various demonstrations of the science “crafted” in a healthcare center, beyond curing diseases, will take place. The workshops at the 12 de Octubre Hospital will be held at the Center for Simulation and Advanced Training (CSIM), which allows learning in a controlled environment by recreating healthcare scenarios to improve patient care and safety.
“This is a great opportunity since we will have a wide range of diverse sciences in one place, so anyone who attends our event will leave with extensive knowledge of what is being researched in our country,” continues Gallego. She also emphasizes that holding the ‘Researchers Night’ at the 12 de Octubre will make the event more inclusive, reaching out to the audience with transportation difficulties due to being in a healthcare center.
‘Todo ciencia. La Noche del CSIC en el 12′ will conclude with a live concert by the band Schizzofunk, which describes itself as a funk, rock, and Madrid-style groove band. They will perform their own songs for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes at the end of the day. The band consists of drums, bass, two guitars, and a saxophone, as explained by Miguel Camblor, a researcher at the ICMM and one of the group’s members. All of this makes this year’s event one of the most exciting ones during the ‘Researchers Night’ in Madrid.
After selling out in previous years, the organization will open the possibility of reserving all activities in advance to ensure that everyone can participate. This can be done through the event’s website starting on September 11 at 9 a.m. Access without a reservation will also be allowed if the capacity permits.
The centers organizing this activity are the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid (ICMM), the Institute of Ceramics and Glass (ICV), the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP), the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB), the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center (CBM-SO), the Institute of Food Science (CIAL), the Institute of Theoretical Physics (IFT), the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), the Institute of Nano and Microelectronics (IMN), and the Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute together with the 12 de Octubre Hospital.
MADRIDNIGHT is a scientific outreach project coordinated by the madri+d Foundation and funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Program, through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, with grant agreement no. 101061343.
FERIA CIENTÍFICA para todos los públicos
– Corredor: demostraciones científicas con diferentes stands de centros del CSIC y el Hospital 12 de Octubre. Acceso libre (para todos los públicos) hasta completar aforo. Se permite prerreserva. Más info aquí.
– Sala A: Charlas científicas (Se requiere reserva previa) (Para todas las edades)
17.30: “Presente y futuro de las enzimas”, Francisco Plou Gasca. (ICP) (25 min.)
18.00: “Hidrógeno solar e inteligencia artificial”, Alicia Bayón Sandoval y Laura Molina Nogal (ICP) (25 min.)
18.30: “Catalizadores para la eliminación de flúor en agua de consumo humano en Etiopía”, Isabel Díaz Carretero (Vicepresidencia de Relaciones Internacionales) (25 min.)
19.00: “¿Cómo serán los antibióticos del futuro?”, Alicia Calvo-Villamañan (CNB) (45 min.)
20.00: “Agujeros negros, el Big Bang y otros misterios”, José L. F. Barbón (IFT) (45 min.)
– Espacio EXPERIMENTA con talleres científicos (Se requiere reserva previa)
‘Las matemáticas frente a las epidemias’ (ICMAT): pases a las 17.30 y a las 19.00. Recomendado para mayores de 12 años.
‘Talleres de extracción de ADN’ (CNB): pases a las 17.30 (para menores de entre 6-12 años), 18.30 (para menores de entre 8-15 años) y 19.30 (para mayores de 15 años)
‘Atrapa la ciencia’ (ICMM. Taller inclusivo para niños/as con diversidad auditiva). Pases: 17.30, 18.30, 19.30.
‘Juego de mesa ‘Bio-Escape’'(IMN): pase a las 17.30 y a las 19.00 (recomendado para público de Bachillerato)
– Visita al centro de Simulación (Se requiere reserva previa)
La visita incluye el acceso a tres salas de simulación con diferentes escenarios montados, así como la práctica de ejercicios de reanimación con maniquíes y otros espacios del centro, normalmente cerrado al público. Actividad para todos los públicos.
CONCIERTO
Schizzofunk, banda de funk, rock y rejolguete de Madrid, nos deleitará con un concierto a partir de las 21.30 en el centro de Actividades Ambulatorias (enfrente de la zona de la feria). Entrada libre hasta completar aforo. Se permite prerreserva.
**El acceso al recinto implica la aceptación de que se tomen fotografías y vídeos. Si tiene algún inconveniente, por favor escriba a eventos@icmm.csic.es
Anamaría Font, SO(IFT) Research Associate, has beeen awarded in the 25th annual L’Oréal-UNESCO International Prize ‘Women and Science’
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards are presented every year to five outstanding women scientists – one per each of the following regions: Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America – in recognition of their scientific accomplishments. Each scientist has had a unique career path combining exceptional talent, a deep commitment to her profession and remarkable courage in a field still largely dominated by men.
In the field of Physics, Prof. Anamaría Font has been awarded this year for her important contributions in theoretical particle physics, in particular to the study of String Theory. Her research has furthered the theory’s implications for the structure of matter and quantum gravity, which is also relevant to the description of black holes and the first instants after the big bang. L’Oréal-UNESCO chose Anamaría Font, from the Central University of Venezuela, among Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Prof. Anamaría Font is Professor of Physics at the Central University of Venezuela and IFT Severo Ochoa Associate Researcher.
In addition to Prof. Font, 2023 laureates include:
Professor Suzana Nunes – Professor of Chemical and Environmental Science and Engineering, Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Professor Lidia Morawska – Distinguished Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Climate, Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Director of the International Laboratory for air quality and health
Professor Aviv Regev – Executive Vice President and Global Head of Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech/Roche, San Francisco
Professor Frances Kirwan – Savilian Professor of Geometry, University of Oxford
¿Cuál es la mejor manera de empaquetar esferas ocupando el menor espacio posible?
Los fruteros saben muy bien cómo hacerlo en tres dimensiones. Pero para dimensiones altas —mayores que tres—este sigue siendo un problema abierto: solo se han encontrado las configuraciones óptimas en dimensión ocho y en dimensión 24.
En 2016, la matemática ucraniana Maryna Viazovska, que acababa de terminar el doctorado, resolvió el problema del empaquetamiento en dimensión ocho. Un año después, junto con otros colaboradores, lo resolvió en dimensión 24. Esto supuso un hito muy destacado de la matemática reciente, que le valió la obteción de la Medalla Fields en 2022.
Los métodos de Viazovska simplificaban enormemente los que usaba Hales para demostrar el caso tridimensional. Lo cual no quiere decir, ni mucho menos, que la demostración fuera fácil: el trabajo aúna herramientas y técnicas del análisis de Fourier, de la teoría de números y del campo de la optimización. Además, con su demostración no era necesaria la ayuda computacional.
En esta charla, el investigador del ICMAT Pablo Hidalgo Palencia nos explica cómo se produjo la consecución de este hito en homenaje al legado de Viazovska.
Pablo Hidalgo es investigador predoctoral en el Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (ICMAT) desde hace dos años. En su trabajo, bajo la dirección de José María Martell, vicepresidente de Investigación Científica y Técnica del CSIC, aborda problemas que aúnan dos áreas de las matemáticas: las ecuaciones en derivadas parciales (EDP) y el análisis de Fourier. Realizó el doble grado en Matemáticas e Informática y el máster en Matemáticas Avanzadas en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), con sendas becas JAE Intro del CSIC y Severo Ochoa-ICMAT.
Conferencia acogida por la Facultad de Ciencias de la UAM y organizada con motivo del Día Internacional de la Mujer y la Niña en la Ciencia por la Comisión de Igualdad Intercentros UAM + CSIC
