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Betevé channel dedicates this night to the Universe with different programs and reports on this subject, with special emphasis on life in the universe.
The night begins with the program 'DEUWATTS' special on 'Life in the universe', with the participation of K. Herrero (IEEC), J. Urmeneta (UB), A. Butturini (UB), J. M. Carrasco (ICCUB (IEEC-UB)), A.Faro (High school student), J. Portell (ICCUB (IEEC-UB)), followed by the documentary 'Sónar calling', which explains the artistic and scientific project that the festival has developed for its 25th anniversary. The documentary is followed by the film 'Cocoon'; and by the programme 'Terrícoles' that includes an interview by Lluís Reales to Ignasi Ribas, director of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia.
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- "Sónar calling"
El documental explica el projecte Sónar calling, que el festival ha realitzat enguany amb motiu del 25è aniversari. En col·laboració amb l'Institut d'Estudis Espacials han dut a terme un projecte artisticocientífic pioner en molts aspectes. Han enviat peces musicals de 10 segons de 38 artistes vinculats amb el festival a un exoplaneta situat a 12,4 anys llum. Les músiques s'han enviat a través d'ones de ràdio emeses des d'una antena de ràdio molt potent situada a Tromso (Noruega). El planeta en qüestió es diu Luyten b i ha estat escollit pel reconegut astrònom català Ignasi Ribas. Es tracta d'un planeta potencialment habitat, és a dir, que té característiques per acollir vida: és rocós i té la temperatura adequada perquè pugui haver-hi aigua en estat líquid a la superfície.
Aquest projecte és innovador perquè, tot i que ja s'havien enviat missatges a l'espai anys enrere, no s'havia fet mai a un planeta potencialment habitat i relativament proper. En cas que realment hi hagués vida intel·ligent a Luyten b, rebrien el missatge l'any 2050 i, si s'afanyessin a contestar, una resposta ens arribaria d'aquí a 25 anys.
En el documental 'Sónar calling' expliquem el projecte a través d'entrevistes als tres directors del Sónar, Sergi Caballero, Ricard Robles i Enric Palau, i els científics que els han assessorat, Ignasi Ribas i Jordi Portell. També hem parlat amb un dels grups participants, els catalans Cabo San Roque, que han enviat una peça en què la veu del seu fill acabat de néixer n'és protagonista.
- DEUWATTS
El Big Bang, la gran explosió, va donar lloc a l'univers. Fa 4.500 milions d'anys es va formar la Terra. La vida es va originar fa 3.000 milions d'anys. Des de l'aparició de les primeres civilitzacions, els humans hem sentit fascinació pels nostres orígens i pels de l'univers. En aquest 'Deuwatts' explorem què sabem sobre la vida a l'univers. I per fer-ho, conversem amb:
- Kike Herrero, astrònom i investigador de l'Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC)
- Jordi Urmeneta, professor del Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística de la Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
- Andrea Butturini, biogeoquímic i professor agregat de la Facultat de Biologia de la UB
- Josep Manel Carrasco, investigador de l'Institut de Ciències del Cosmos de la UB
- Andreu Faro, alumne de 4t d'ESO de l'Institut Vila-seca i guanyador del premi Explica'm la Ciència
- Jordi Portell, investigador de la missió Gaia, de l'Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB), i responsable tècnic del projecte Sónar calling
- 'Cocoon'
una pel·lícula nord-americana del 1985 sobre un grup de gent gran que recobra l'energia de la joventut quan accidentalment es vinculen amb extraterrestres. La pel·lícula, dirigida per Ron Howard i basada en una novel·la de David Saperstein, va guanyar dos Oscars.
- Terrícoles
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Universe themed night "La vida a l'univers" , "Sónar Calling
The second Sonar transmission to be sent into Luyten Star b will take place on May 14, 15 and 16. This potentially inhabitable exoplanet is at a 12,4 light years (about 120 billion kilometres) distance from the Earth. This action is part of the project Sonar Calling, which counts on the participation of researchers from the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC). Among these are Jordi Portell, researcher at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the UB (ICCUB-IEEC), who was in charge of the message design, coding and coordination of the consignment.
Sonar Calling is the first series of radio transmissions sent to a near potentially inhabitable exoplanet. A total of 38 ten-second musical pieces by artists related to the festival have been sent, summarizing the exploring essence of Sonar over its twenty-five years of existence. The response could arrive in about twenty-five years, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Sonar. Luyten Star b was chosen as the target because it is the closest potentially inhabitable star which is known and visible from the northern hemisphere. All transmissions are being sent from the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association antenna (EISCAT), in Tromsø (Norway). This transmission has been carried out in collaboration with the Canadian astrophysicist Yvan Dutil.
How can we communicate with potential extra-terrestrials?
Sonar Calling is the first series of radio transmissions sent to a near potentially inhabitable exoplanet. A total of 38 ten-second musical pieces by artists related to the festival have been sent, summarizing the exploring essence of Sonar over its twenty-five years of existence. The response could arrive in about twenty-five years, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Sonar. Luyten Star b was chosen as the target because it is the closest potentially inhabitable star which is known and visible from the northern hemisphere. All transmissions are being sent from the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association antenna (EISCAT), in Tromsø (Norway). This transmission has been carried out in collaboration with the Canadian astrophysicist Yvan Dutil.
How can we communicate with potential extra-terrestrials?
The transmissions include a series of tutorials for the potential extra-terrestrials which intend to explain things about humans without having to understand a whole new language. These tutorials are based on self-decodable messages, which display a progressive introduction of concepts and information on mathematics, physics, humanity and cosmos. In 1999, Professor Dutil, together with Stéphane Dumas (1970-2016), created a small dictionary of symbols and concepts, each described with an image of a few pixels. The tutorial section in the sent message in Sonar Calling shows the different concepts little by little, as if we were teaching a baby how to speak. The last part of the tutorials, in which Jordi Portell participated, is necessary to understand the digital music created by our artists, and includes an illustration and a practical demonstration on the concepts of digital music and simple sounds.
In order to discover the artistic and scientific aspects of this initiative, Sonar 2018 will be included in the “Sonar Calling GJ273b Control Room by Absolut”, which will be available in the space Sonar by Day. Also, framed within the international conference Sonar+D, there will be a conference given by the researchers who took part in the project, and ICCUB researcher Xavier Luri will carry out a workshop on the analysis of astronomical data for creative applications.
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ICCUB researchers in Sonar 2018
ICREA Prof. Raul Jimenez, member of the ICCUB, has just published his new book "Democracias Robotizadas" on the role that machine learning, artificial intelligence, bayesian statistics and quantum computing will have on our societies. The book focuses on a very accurate description of what artificial intelligence really is and how this will change our future societies.
“Democracias Robotizadas”
Our democracies have they barely overcome the biggest economic crisis? No, they are at a critical point. Although the main geographic context of this essay is the Western Hemisphere after World War II, the Great Depression in 2007-2008 has seriously affected the general socio-economic system worldwide. Above all other Considerations, what stands out in the current times is the progressive robotization of western democracies, which foretells long-range deep and structural changes. This fourth technological revolution, driven by the generalization of the internet and the automation, intensifies the programs of artificial intelligence and the subsequent production maximization. Eventually, the processes in progress will make superfluous the need for much of the wage labour. Will we live a democratic future like the one now, even with technological changes or will it be different? What impact will robotization have on human relations in democracy? This work describes in detail the applications of robotization and artificial intelligence. Both will influence the process of neo-feudalism in the United States and will inevitably make the implementation of a citizen's income in European Union.
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New book by ICREA Prof. Raul Jimenez "Democracias Robotizada
On the occasion of the commemoration of the International Women's Day, the Equality Commission of the Faculty, the group of Women of Physics and Chemistry (students) and the Dean have organized the following schedule of activities for March 8:
#Vagadetotes,8 March in the Physics Faculty
#Vagadetotes,8 March in the Physics Faculty
- 8:25 Gathering at the atrium of the faculty
- 8:30 Hanging of the banner "#Vagadetotes, les científiques parem"
- 8:45 Talk: "Dones i Ciència: dades i perspectiva" (Sònia Estradé)
- 9:45 Talk: "Microscòpia electrònica o quan la dualitat ona-partícula ens obre els ulls per veure àtoms " (Francesca Peiró)
- 10:15 Talk "8 de marc, vaga de totes" (Students, Women Physics and Chemistry)
- 10:30 Talk: "Ocupem les aules, noms de dones" (Students, Women Physics and Chemistry)
- 10:45 Coffee break at the atrium
- 11:15 Scientists parade (we will name each classroom in the faculty after a woman in science)
- 12:00 Gathering of all faculties at the front door of the University (Diagonal)
- 13:00 Vegan lunch at the Biology department
- 17:00 Gathering in Diagonal where we will join the march from Baix Llobregat to the protest
- 18:30 Protest "Plataforma 8 de març" (Diagonal, Passeig de Gràcia)
- All talks will be held at the Enric Casasses.
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/las-academicas-paramos-8m#comments
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8 March in the Physics Faculty of UB
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«Dones i ciència», ceremony for the International Women's Da
Full interview: English version Catalan version Spanish version
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Guillem Anglada: “Science has to be society's third sector”
The Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) will be among the 40 Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu Centers and Units of Excellence participating in the international meeting 100XCiencia.2, a tech transfer event that will take place in Alicante on November 2nd & 3rd.
One of the basal pillars of every research institution of excellence is the transfer of the knowledge it generates and the valorization of this knowledge to society. This idea guides the second meeting of the Spanish Centers of Excellence "Severo Ochoa" (CSOs) and the Units of Excellence "María de Maeztu" (UMMs), 100xCiencia.2, under the title: Co-creating Value in Scientific Research. Representatives of all the CSOs and the UMMs (scientific directors, transfer and innovation managers, communication and dissemination managers) will meet in Alicante on 2-3 November 2017 with outstanding representatives of the knowledge-based industry, economy and administration.The meeting includes conferences given by women of recognized international relevance in different areas of research, innovation and knowledge valorisation management, as well as roundtables shared by CSOs and UMMs researchers with representatives from the industry, technology transfer offices, policy and economic management. Also included in the program are short presentations of the most successful CSOs and UMMs in transfer and innovation and experts in this area. Dialogue and exchange of experiences and good practices will be fostered throughout the whole meeting, with the fundamental purpose of strengthening the capacities of knowledge transfer and enhance the social impact of the research work developed by the centres and units of excellence of our country.
More about the meeting: http://100xciencia.umh.es/
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100xCiencia.2 Meeting: Co-creating value in scientific resea
The ICCUB has begun managing the touring of the exhibition "Investigadores en Física Nuclear" prepared by the Commission for Equality of the Faculty of Physics.
In order to diffuse this exhibition a website has been created, where one can find its panels, the touring information, and complementary material, as well as a brief summary in the form of a flyer.
This exhibition joins five astronomy exhibitions also managed by the ICCUB, which were created by the members of the old DAM, which have been touring since 2009 around the Catalonian educative and cultural centers.
Due to the success of this type of exhibition format as a science outreach tool, the ICCUB has considered producing new exhibitions about the various Research Lines of the Institute, and adapting these exhibitions for tours.
In order to diffuse this exhibition a website has been created, where one can find its panels, the touring information, and complementary material, as well as a brief summary in the form of a flyer.
This exhibition joins five astronomy exhibitions also managed by the ICCUB, which were created by the members of the old DAM, which have been touring since 2009 around the Catalonian educative and cultural centers.
Due to the success of this type of exhibition format as a science outreach tool, the ICCUB has considered producing new exhibitions about the various Research Lines of the Institute, and adapting these exhibitions for tours.
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"Investigadores en Física Nuclear", a new touring exhibition
The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) turns 20. Two decades dedicated to know the universe. The four units that form the IEEC: The Institute of Cosmos (UB) Science, the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC), the Centre for Studies and Space Research (UAB) and the research group in Science and Technology of the Space (UPC) have participated during these 20 years in various space missions of different space agencies and have contributed significantly to the knowledge of astrophysics and astronomy.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the IEEC has organized jointly with Obra Social “la Caixa” a cycle of lectures Discovering the Universe. The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), 20 years doing research in space, in order to spread the space research done in Catalonia. The talks will take place on 16, 22 and 29 November at 19h at the CosmoCaixa of Barcelona
Discovering the Universe. The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), 20 years doing research in space
On November 16 Ignasi Ribas, researcher of the Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CISC) and director of the Astronomical Observatory of Montsec (IEEC) will talk Looking for Earth 2.0.
Are there other living beings in the universe? How long we will spend before we find other planets like ours. How will we know if they are inhabited? These questions leave no one indifferent. Most encouraging is that science is a way of responding. To date researchers have discovered more than 2000 planets orbiting other stars, and Nature has revealed a wealth of planetary systems than we ever would have imagined. This has been thanks to the development of techniques to achieve measure speed, brightness and position of the stars with exquisite precision. This talk will review the methods that allow us to discover exoplanets and the most spectacular recent findings described. Ribas will present the new space missions and projects with special emphasis on the CARMENES instrument, which should allow this great scientific revolution, continue to discover planets similar to our Earth, the Earths 2.0.
On November 22, Francesca Figueras, researcher and vice-director of the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (IEEC-UB) and co-director of the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) will give a talk on the first data of the Gaia mission: the whole galaxy in a petabyte. The first data from the mission GAIA have allowed us to obtain the most precise 3D map of our galaxy. Since its launch in 2013 its two telescopes capture light from stars and other celestial bodies in its orbit so precisely as if from Earth could observe a one-euro coin at the Moon. With GAIA multiply by ten thousand knowledge that until now have of the Milky Way as the satellite moves continuously and changes its angle to the sun. Therefore, you can register not only the stars but also other bodies such as quasars, planets extrasolar or asteroids. You will observe all celestial objects up to 400,000 times lower brightness than that seen by the human eye at first glance. Gaia will see each object between 75 and 100 times in order to create a 3D reconstruction. During this lecture, we know the latest data collected by GAIA.
And to close the cycle, on November 29, Carlos F. Sopuerta, Researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC) will talk about the discovery of gravitational waves and the beginning of a new astronomy. LIGO (Gravitational Wave Observatory Laser Interferometry) has just inaugurated the era of Gravitational Wave Astronomy observing the first binary black hole system. At the same time, on the one hand, the space mission LISA Pathfinder ESA has demonstrated technology for future space gravitational wave detector, the L3 mission of ESA, and on the other hand, radio telescopes to monitor pulsars are very close to detect gravitational waves at very low frequencies. All those events make gravitational waves are very important to better understand the universe, especially the most “dark” phenomena as those involving black holes ingredient. This talk will discuss how these waves will be detected and what discoveries we expect in the coming years.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the IEEC has organized jointly with Obra Social “la Caixa” a cycle of lectures Discovering the Universe. The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), 20 years doing research in space, in order to spread the space research done in Catalonia. The talks will take place on 16, 22 and 29 November at 19h at the CosmoCaixa of Barcelona
Discovering the Universe. The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), 20 years doing research in space
On November 16 Ignasi Ribas, researcher of the Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CISC) and director of the Astronomical Observatory of Montsec (IEEC) will talk Looking for Earth 2.0.
Are there other living beings in the universe? How long we will spend before we find other planets like ours. How will we know if they are inhabited? These questions leave no one indifferent. Most encouraging is that science is a way of responding. To date researchers have discovered more than 2000 planets orbiting other stars, and Nature has revealed a wealth of planetary systems than we ever would have imagined. This has been thanks to the development of techniques to achieve measure speed, brightness and position of the stars with exquisite precision. This talk will review the methods that allow us to discover exoplanets and the most spectacular recent findings described. Ribas will present the new space missions and projects with special emphasis on the CARMENES instrument, which should allow this great scientific revolution, continue to discover planets similar to our Earth, the Earths 2.0.
On November 22, Francesca Figueras, researcher and vice-director of the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (IEEC-UB) and co-director of the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) will give a talk on the first data of the Gaia mission: the whole galaxy in a petabyte. The first data from the mission GAIA have allowed us to obtain the most precise 3D map of our galaxy. Since its launch in 2013 its two telescopes capture light from stars and other celestial bodies in its orbit so precisely as if from Earth could observe a one-euro coin at the Moon. With GAIA multiply by ten thousand knowledge that until now have of the Milky Way as the satellite moves continuously and changes its angle to the sun. Therefore, you can register not only the stars but also other bodies such as quasars, planets extrasolar or asteroids. You will observe all celestial objects up to 400,000 times lower brightness than that seen by the human eye at first glance. Gaia will see each object between 75 and 100 times in order to create a 3D reconstruction. During this lecture, we know the latest data collected by GAIA.
And to close the cycle, on November 29, Carlos F. Sopuerta, Researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC) will talk about the discovery of gravitational waves and the beginning of a new astronomy. LIGO (Gravitational Wave Observatory Laser Interferometry) has just inaugurated the era of Gravitational Wave Astronomy observing the first binary black hole system. At the same time, on the one hand, the space mission LISA Pathfinder ESA has demonstrated technology for future space gravitational wave detector, the L3 mission of ESA, and on the other hand, radio telescopes to monitor pulsars are very close to detect gravitational waves at very low frequencies. All those events make gravitational waves are very important to better understand the universe, especially the most “dark” phenomena as those involving black holes ingredient. This talk will discuss how these waves will be detected and what discoveries we expect in the coming years.
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IEEC celebrates its 20th anniversary with the lecture series
Each month the Observatori Astronòmic del Montsec (OAdM) of IEEC publishes an outstanding image from the observations made there. In October, the protagonist of the image of the month is the Arp 316 galaxy group.
The three galaxies NGC 3187 (right), NGC 3190 (bottom center) and NGC 3193 (left) form the group Arp 316. The first two are spirals, the first traversed by bands of dark dust, and another with a characteristic shape of S. Along with its elliptical companion, these galaxies in this group show obvious signs of distortions and high star formation by mutual interactions, which surely end up producing their merger. At the bottom of the image can be located several dozen more distant galaxies.
The image was captured with the main camera, MEIA2, Joan Oró telescope, using different broadband filters in a total of about 2 hours of exposure.
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Arp 316 galaxy group, picture of September of the Observator