Naukas' 9th anniversary: lunar landscapes and purple tones

You know how much I like a good scientific talk. This is how during the non-productive times in Aberdeen (they were more than a few) I began to investigate if there was any near Bilbao, which is the closest city to my hometown and where I spend most of my time in summer. Of course there was! With no expectation, I found two platforms, including Naukas, and another called Passion For Knowledge (P4K), which at a glance seemed to be of the style I was interested in: relaxed and educating but at the same time interesting and for all kinds of audiences. And best of all, free.

During the last weekend of September, Naukas Bilbao, a Spanish organization of scientific divulgation, celebrated its ninth anniversary at the Euskalduna Palace. Having searched only once the online program, I was sure that I had to go. Alone or accompanied, as an independent person that I am (only sometimes). Well, the truth is that I tried to convince a friend from Bilbao who had studied her bachelor degree in science like me, but she could not make it and finally I dragged my two parents to go with me. As I told you before, I am a very independent person.

The talks, starring scientists, addressed various areas with the aim of explaining people with a diverse background, curiosities and generalities about science with touches of skepticism and humor. I especially liked the talk of Elena Lázaro Real, and although it seemed that she was going to talk about how were waves formed in the ocean, she dealt with a very different topic, which concerns us all from much closer: feminism in science. Now that I think about it, perhaps her intention was also to make a simile of the force of the waves and the strength of some who fought against the role and pre-established sayings of women in science. Without going any further, Charles Darwin, who laid the foundation for the theory of evolution, was convinced that women were superior to men in moral qualities but intellectually inferior. This was only one of the cases in which a respected scientist convinced 19th-century society of the intellectual and social inferiority of women (I love this man…). However, there were some females who did not tolerate that rejection. Women like Mary Wollstonecraft, Josefa Amar, Concepción Gimeno, Cocepción Arenal, Concepción Aleixandre and Teresa Mañé fought for their and our dignity. Elena may not have explained with great detail how a wave of the sea is created, but she spoke with care and love how the feminist wave began and how it affected to science.

The afternoon session lasted almost 3 hours, with a 10-minute break and, unlike Elena's talk, most had to do with the Moon, in reference to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the human being to this satellite. Apollo 11, you are already a myth. The afternoon session was a success; the room was filled with spectators and we could enjoy musical themes performed with the piano and the flute.

Naukas was also a personal success for me because my parents were entertained at all times despite not understanding science more than superficial issues such as nutrition. Just joking.

Definitely an experience to repeat!