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Outreach News

Thursday, 31 October 2019

The fourth edition of Crazy for Physics ends with a science weekend at Món Natura Pirineus

by Àlex Argemí

The IFAE and the ICN2 have coordinated the fourth edition of the Crazy for Physics oprogramme promoted by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera. A selected group of highly skilled undergraduate students have enjoyed a series of experiences at excellence research centers.

Crazy for Science is a programme created by the Fundació Catalunya / La Pedrera to bring excellence science closer to excellent students. After a competitive selection process 25 students are selected to enjoy a series of exclusive activities developed at leading research centers and devoted to different research areas (Medicine, Chemistry, Maths, etc.).

After 16 interactive sessions the fourth edition of Crazy for Physics, coordinated by the IFAE and the ICN2, has arrived to an end with an intense weekend at Món Natura Pirineus. Participants were able to observe Saturn and a series of galaxies the trough a telescope, reflected about the origin of the universe and the nanoscale using Lego bricks and prepared a celebration event to close the Programme. The activities were coordinated by Sebastian Grinschpun and Àlex Argemí, Heads of the Communication Departments at the IFAE and the ICN2, respectively.

During the year participants had the opportunity to interact with real scientists at the IFAE, the ICN2, the UAB, the ALBA Synchrotron, the ICMAB and the ICFO. The long list of Groups that made it possible at the ICN2 include the Electron Microscopy Division (Belen Ballesteros, Marcos Rosado); the former Force Probe Microscopy and Surface Group (Jordi Fraxedas); the Inorganic Nanoparticles Group (Neus Bastus, Oscar Hernando Moriones, Jana Oliveras); the Magnetic Nanostructures Group (Maria José Esplandiu); the Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group (Enric Calucho, Amadeo Sena); the Physics and Engineering of Nanodevices Group (Adriana Isabel Figueroa); and, the Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience Group (José Hugo Garcia, Marc Vila). The ICN2 Marketing and Communication Department (Àlex Argemí, Ana de la Osa) coordinated the ICN2 participation in the programme.

The fifth edition of the Programme is already in its selection process and will start in January 2020 involving new institutions such as ICE and UB. With an expanding and exciting programme, Crazy for Physics is already the second Crazy for Science programme with a higher number of pre-inscriptions.