The Benasque Valley fills up with science in the 6th Benasque Valley Science Week
The Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA) and the Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogéneo (ISQCH), joint institutes between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), the Benasque Awareness Association and the Benasque Science Centre Pedro Pascual, are organising the 6th Benasque Valley Science Week, which will take place from 13th to 17th November at the Pedro Pascual Benasque Science Centre and which this year will focus its activities on “Sustainable Development and Artificial Intelligence”.
This informative initiative originated in 1991 in France, when Hubert Curien, the French Minister of Research, decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Ministry by opening its gardens to the public in order to bring science and researchers closer to the public. European Science Week has been held every year since 1993 and has been organised in Spain on a national basis since 2001.
The inauguration of the event will take place on Monday 13 November at 19:00 hours and will feature the inaugural lecture by Luis Martín Moreno, CSIC researcher at the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), who will give a lecture entitled “Artificial Intelligence”.
The week will feature an exhibition developed by the CSIC in collaboration with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology “Sustainable Energy” offers a global perspective on the world energy situation and the existing alternatives for cleaner electricity and transport. It also looks at the specific situation in Spain and includes advice and measures that citizens can take to contribute to a change in the energy model. The exhibition includes educational guides for use by schools.
During the week, practical activities will be carried out for the almost 600 pupils in the Valley, from primary to secondary school, including scientific experiments on artificial intelligence, plastics and their recycling, and, on alternative energies, the holding of a Hi Score Science competition, a quiz game on science, in Spanish and English, for mobile devices, iOS and Android, and PC, Mac and Linux, available in Apple Store and Play Store and awarded at international, national and regional level, which tries to bring science to the world of the youngest based on video games and new technologies, and drawing and scientific micro-story competitions.
The general public and visitors to the Valley will be able to enjoy informative conferences at the highest level such as “Hydrogen: the energy of the future is already here” by Miguel Ángel Laguna Bercero, CSIC researcher at the INMA or “Chemistry in the SDGs” by Elisabet Pires Ezquerra, researcher at the University of Zaragoza at the ISQCH. In addition, the documentary “The age of AI” will be shown with a subsequent debate.
The 6th Science Week in Benasque has the support of the Vice-Presidency of Scientific Culture of the CSIC, the Ribagorza region, the town councils of Benasque, Sahún, Sesué and Villanova, the bakery Fabres, Disnoguero, the butchers Las Tucas the mindkind, SOMMOS Hotels, barrabes ski and mountain, Veri, The mindkind and ITAINNOVA and the Delegation of the CSIC in Aragon.
