A new edition of the project to promote critical thinking, ‘Agencia de Nanocrític@s’, is here
- ‘Agencia de Nanocrític@s: Session Zero’ continues to combat misinformation in the field of science and technology, teaching students critical thinking skills and reasoned decision-making.
- Through workshops given by researchers from the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA, a joint CSIC-UNIZAR institute) and a final ‘live’ game-format escape room, participants will face scientific challenges, developing analytical skills to identify and counteract pseudoscience in various escape boxes.
- ‘Agencia de Nanocrític@s: Sesión Zero’ has a new theme centred on an apocalyptic future caused by an environmental disaster that will be combated with science and technology developed by INMA.
Zaragoza, 21 October 2025. ‘Agencia de Nanocrític@a: Sesión Zero’ begins with new features that will enrich the educational proposal and broaden its impact in the fight against misinformation in science and technology. The project is organised by the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA, CSIC-Unizar) in collaboration with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
In this sixth edition of ‘Agencia de Nanocríticos’, it is clear to see how the project has evolved significantly since its pilot in 2017, incorporating innovative elements such as experimental briefcases, graphic stories and a gender perspective in the history of science. This year, the project culminates in a ‘live’ game session in Escape Room format (an educational escape day), where teams of students will compete in a qualifying round and final, solving these escape boxes based on current INMA research. This new feature will allow students to experience the scientific method in action, preparing them to work as a team and tackle complex problems in a creative and informed way.
Among the new features of this edition is the adaptation of the workshops to the escape box format, transforming the learning experience into an immersive game, which will also introduce a new theme centred on an apocalyptic future caused by an environmental disaster that will be combated with the research being developed at INMA. This storyline will join the existing ones (Space Travel and Dinosaurs).
These escape boxes encourage active participation and allow them to work as a team to solve puzzles and challenges related to the project’s themes. This methodology makes science more accessible and fun for all students, including those with special educational needs.
During the development of ‘Agencia de Nanocrític@s: Sesión Zero’ (NanoCritics Agency: Session Zero), collaboration between participants and researchers and experts in various areas of INMA will be strengthened. This interdisciplinary collaboration will allow students to gain a broader and more up-to-date view of science, encouraging the integration of different approaches and knowledge in solving scientific problems.
Participants will have access to stories such as ‘NanoCuento’ for Early Childhood Education, ‘Danger: di-NANO-saurs!’ for Primary and Special Education, and the comic ‘A Space Adventure’ for Secondary and Sixth Form. Students will also enjoy the Virtual Expo: Nanocrític@ Timeline with updated content. This experience includes images, audio, stories, videos and digital games that allow participants to explore the timelines of this project and discuss engaging scientific topics.
21-10-2025
