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LAB TOUR 2026 (FECYT-MICIU)

Written by PCSI user on . Posted in Outreach.

FECYT-MICIU project taking place in Soria during the course 2025-2026

LAB TOUR 2026 is a project of the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), coordinated by Daniel Martín Jiménez and funded with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), Ruralia (Caja Rural de Soria Holding), and the Provincial Council of Soria. Its goal is to increase knowledge and understanding of Science and Technology in a region of the province of Soria, within what is known as ‘Empty Spain.’
The core of the project is a five-day tour in spring 2026, led by scientific staff from the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC). During this tour, the following activities will take place:

1-Science outreach workshops related to materials science in Early Childhood and Primary Education Schools (CEIP), which are also Rural Grouped Schools (CRA) in six villages of Soria.
2-Interviews on local radio and television to discuss science, connecting it with the society, culture, and art of Soria.

For more information, visit https://labtour.icmab.es/

Science in the mirror

Written by PCSI user on . Posted in Outreach.

Ciencia ante el espejo (Science in the mirror)

Daniel Martín-Jiménez  contributions to this Blog from CSIC in Catalonia, created to explore the different angles of reflection from which we see, think and tell science. Blog in Spanish.

«Aventureros al tren: juego de mesa, viajes de servicio y sostenibilidad», 22th Sep 2025
«Ciencia y Cine: entre el Sincrotrón ALBA y Noche en la Tierra», 2nd Apr 2025
«Ciencia, poesía y feminismo: dos libros para el 11F», 8th Feb 2024
«Pintura y tecnología: pintar ya no es lo que era», 23th Oct 2023
«Poesía sobre física», 27th Jul 2023

Committed to 11th February and to feminism and integration in science

Written by Carmen Ocal on . Posted in Outreach.

PCSI members are actively engaged in raising awareness about equality in science, feminism, and inclusion. Several members belong to the Specialized Group of Women in Physics (GMFE‑RSEF) and the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists (AMIT). They regularly take part in events held on February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with the aim of promoting visibility, fostering gender equality, and encouraging young girls to pursue scientific careers.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebration in Palau Macaya, Barcelona
Elena Xuriguera, Monica Beatriz Della Pirriera and Esther Barrena
February 11, 2025
Esther Barrena participated on February 11 in a round table on scientific knowledge organized by Clúster MAV (Advanced Materials in Catalunya Cluster) at Palau Macaya in Barcelona, as part of the cluster’s initiative to celebrate and promote female talent on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Madrid Science Fair 2024
Carmen Ocal
February 11, 2024
On the occasion of the celebration of the Madrid Science Fair 2024 (XIIIFERIA madridesciencia), on behalf of the GEMF of the RSEF, a poster was made including Scikus* (Scientific Haikus) dedicated to some female physicists. (*) Scikus extracted from “A hombros de GigantAs. Científicas en verso” (Next-Door Publishers) by Laura Morrón Ruiz de Gordejuela (física y divulgadora), except six written by Carmen Ocal (PCSI-ICMAB-CSIC).

Collaboration with BCT-UAB

Written by Carmen Ocal on . Posted in Outreach.

Taking advantage of their proximity, members of the PSCI group at ICMAB-CSIC actively collaborate with the Science and Technology Library (BCT) of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

 Presentació: Els Premis de Física Real Sociedad Española de Física-Fundación BBVA 2024 al campus de la UAB 
Daniel Martín-Jiménez 
November 26, 2024  

The winners of the 2024 RSEF-BBVA Awards, Daniel Martín Jiménez (postdoctoral researcher at ICMAB-CSIC) and Martí Perarnau Llobet (Ramón y Cajal postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics, UAB), both working on the Bellaterra campus, presented to the audience the research projects for which they were honored. The event was organized by the Science and Technology Library and was preceded by a presentation featuring Ignasi Fina Martínez (tenured scientist at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC).

The event was recorded and is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbCo8M0Q8Xw

POETIC SLAM: #CiènciaiPoesia
Daniel Martín-Jiménez 
September 26, 2023

A Poetry Slam on Science took place in the library of Science and Technology of the UAB with the participation of Daniel Martín Jiménez from the PCSI group of ICMAB-CSIC with the poem Helio Líquido. Daniel’s scientific poem Helio líquido was first published on 11th December 2023.

Revista Española de Física

Written by PCSI user on . Posted in Outreach.

PCSI members are active partners of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF) and contribute to science outreach in Spanish through publications in the Revista Española de Física
Los sabios ciegos y los materiales avanzados
Daniel Martín-Jiménez
Revista Española de Física. Vol 39, No 2 (2025)
La nanotecnología posibilita la creación de nuevos materiales funcionales que son aplicados en los campos de las comunicaciones, la energía y la salud. Para tener una comprensión más precisa de las propiedades de estos materiales avanzados, es necesario emplear diversas metodologías que permitan caracterizarlos de forma integral. El proyecto InCAEM tiene como objetivo crear una plataforma única en España para una caracterización avanzada multitécnica y correlativa de materiales, con radiación sincrotrón, métodos computacionales, microscopías electrónicas y de sondas de barrido dentro de las instalaciones del sincrotrón ALBA. Esta plataforma estará disponible para cualquier usuario en 2026 a través de propuestas enviadas a la oficina de usuarios de ALBA.
Noticias
Pilar López Sancho, Carmen Ocal, Alberto Ruiz Jimeno
Revista Española de Física. Vol 39, No 1 (2025)
Noticia sobre el nombramiento de la Profesora Eloísa López Pérez como Miembro Distinguida de la Real Sociedad Española de Física.
Reseña de libros de interés: “El Universo en Octasílabos”
Daniel Martín-Jiménez
 Revista Española de Física Vol 37, No 3 (2023)
Reseña del libro “El Universo en Octasílabos” de Silvano Andrés de la Morena
Cocineros Moleculares
Daniel Martín-Jiménez
Revista Española de Física. Vol. 37 nº2 (2023)

Award for the Best Outreach Contribution in the Publications of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics

En los últimos veinte años ha surgido una nueva rama en nanotecnología que, valiéndose de procesos fisicoquímicos muy parecidos a los que hay en una cocina corriente, se encarga de sintetizar en superficies novedosos compuestos moleculares 2D. Los investigadores en esta nueva rama utilizan “cazuelas”, “sartenes” y hasta “tenedores” para crear con gran precisión grandes moléculas a través de acoplamientos de compuestos orgánicos más pequeños. Se espera que las moléculas sintetizadas tengan propiedades fisicoquímicas que contribuyan al futuro desarrollo de la electrónica.
Avances en la física de superficies
Esther Barrena, L. Aballe, M.C. Asensio
Revista Española de Física. Vol 31, No 3 (2017): Física de la Materia Condensada.
Edición especial de la revista sobre La Física de la Materia Condensada, donde se analiza los avances en la física de superficies.

European Researchers’ Night, Science week, Science Fest and Pint of Science

Written by Carmen Ocal on . Posted in Outreach.

The members of PSCI take part in annual activities that bring science closer to society. They have participated in the Barcelona Science Festival (Spring), the European Researchers’ Night (last weekend of September), and the Science Week. There, they run science workshops for children, storytelling sessions, and talks, with the support of the ICMAB-CSIC outreach team.

Science week in Barcelona
Anna Crespi and Daniel Martín-Jiménez
November 15, 2025  
As part of the LAB TOUR 2026 project, researchers from ICMAB-CSIC organized a new event during Science Week, where researchers Anna Crespi and Daniel Martín gave a talk on the pigments used in Romanesque art at Casa de Soria in Barcelona. The event gathered roughly 100 people, including members of the House and external public. The talk — blending history, society and science — used Romanesque pigments as a guiding thread to explore the connections between Soria and Barcelona.
 The European Researchers’ Night in Soria 
Stefania Sandoval, Judith Oró and Daniel Martín-Jiménez
September 26, 2025  
As part of the LAB TOUR project, researchers from ICMAB-CSIC travelled to Soria to celebrate, for the first time, the European Researchers’ Night in the city. At the ‘Casino Círculo Amistad Numancia’, they presented the LAB TOUR 2026 project, delivered a talk on nanotechnology, and offered workshops for children and young audiences on electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and optical and electronic microscopy.
Festa de la Ciència/ Science Fest in Barcelona
Daniel Martín-Jiménez
June 9, 2024  
Daniel Martín Jiménez took part in an event at El Born in Barcelona, where he performed a storytelling session about Fray Tomás and led hands-on activities exploring biological materials and their colours.
 The European Researchers’ Night in Barcelona 
Daniel Martín-Jiménez and Rosa L. Zaffino
September 29, 2023  
Daniel Martín Jiménez (PCSI group) and Rosa L. Zaffino (FunNanoSurf), both from ICMAB-CSIC, organized a scientific workshop at the Science Night of Catalonia at CosmoCaixa. They rescued from the past the historical character of Fray Tomás de Berlanga, a monk whose life was devoted to Christian faith and science. Children from 3 to 5 years learned about animals, fruits and colors as part of an educational and Nature care activity.
Pint of Science in Barcelona 
Ana Pérez and Esther Barrena
May 16, 2017  
On May 16th, PCSI members and ICMAB researchers Esther Barrena and Ana Pérez gave two talks at Michael Collins bar. Esther presented “Planilandia: un LEGO en dos dimensiones”, introducing graphene and other 2D materials. Ana delivered “Ver y tocar átomos y moléculas”, explaining how scanning microscopy allows us to visualize matter at the nanoscale.

Madame Châtelet (2017-2023)

Written by Carmen Ocal on . Posted in Outreach.

Madame Châtelet. The Hall of Wise Women

Project selected and funded by the General Foundation of CSIC (FGCSIC) in its Second Edition (2018) of Cuenta la Ciencia. 

‘Madame Châtelet and Her Followers on Instagram’ is an activity created for February 11, 2017, carried out by women from various roles at ICMAB, and presented in educational and cultural centers in the Barcelona area between 2017 and 2023. Among them, PSCI members Esthe Barrena and Carmen Ocal.

Extensive information about the project, as well as about the different women involved (both the creators and those represented), can be found thanks to the help and collaboration of our colleague J.A. Gómez (Jags) at this link: Madame Châtelet.