Around 400 people participated in the activities of La ciència de l'aigua

The opening took place at Barcelona Roca Gallery.
The opening took place at Barcelona Roca Gallery.
Academic
(25/08/2014)

“The assessment of the science dissemination project La ciència de lʼaigua is very positive in every aspect”, affirms Marga Becerra, the person in charge of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+i) of UB. She considers that the lecture series and the rest of activities developed from April to July achieved the initial objective of the project: to make a transversal and multidisciplinary analysis of water. In total, nearly 400 people attended the activities carried out within the project, co-organised by UCC+i and Roca, within this year's programme of activities of La UB divulga. La ciència de l'aigua aimed at analysing water from diverse subject areas: physical geography, ecology, economics, microbiology, history, law, chemical engineering and geochemistry. It has achieved this aim thanks to the collaboration of prestigious experts from the University of Barcelona by means of lectures and activities.

The opening took place at Barcelona Roca Gallery.
The opening took place at Barcelona Roca Gallery.
Academic
25/08/2014

“The assessment of the science dissemination project La ciència de lʼaigua is very positive in every aspect”, affirms Marga Becerra, the person in charge of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+i) of UB. She considers that the lecture series and the rest of activities developed from April to July achieved the initial objective of the project: to make a transversal and multidisciplinary analysis of water. In total, nearly 400 people attended the activities carried out within the project, co-organised by UCC+i and Roca, within this year's programme of activities of La UB divulga. La ciència de l'aigua aimed at analysing water from diverse subject areas: physical geography, ecology, economics, microbiology, history, law, chemical engineering and geochemistry. It has achieved this aim thanks to the collaboration of prestigious experts from the University of Barcelona by means of lectures and activities.

Twelve lectures took place at Barcelona Roca Gallery; they enabled participants to understand, for instance, the unequal distribution of water in our planet and the role that water plays in the transmission of infectious diseases, and to know, for example, how can we reduce waste water, different past events of torrential rains and droughts and their consequences, how preindustrial societies managed climate risk situations with a limited technology and how do we calculate the price of water.

Besides lectures, the project included the children performance Més enllà dels núvols, an illustrated scientific story addressed to children aged between four and seven years old in order to get them familiar with extreme weather. A guided visit of the storm water tank of Zona Universitària was also done. In addition, two guided tours around Barcelona were performed: the first described how preindustrial populations in the city collected and used water and managed floods and droughts, and the second underlined the close relationship the city has with water. Finally, on the last session a water tasting took place. Its main objective was to prove if water is tasteless, colourless and odourless. In other words, if it is true that all types of water are the same. Those present tasted different types of water; differences among them were analysed considering the previous lecture. The influence that geology has on the water we drink was also examined.

The project was funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) - Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The Research Group on Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM) of the Faculty of Biology and the Water Research Institute of UB

La UB Divulga collects all the science dissemination activities organised by the University of Barcelona; some of them are directly coordinated by the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+i) of UB. The activities of La UB Divulga aim at promoting people's interest in scientific knowledge, increasing citizens' scientific culture and contributing to the awakening of scientific vocations among young students and children.