El Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), en colaboración con la Fundación Descubre, ha organizado un Café con Ciencia con motivo de la conmemoración del 11 de febrero, Día Internacional de la Mujer y la Niña en la Ciencia (11F), y del 8 de marzo, Día Internacional de la Mujer (8M).The Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), in collaboration with the Descubre Foundation, has organised a ‘Coffee with Science’ event to mark 11 February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11F), and 8 March, International Women’s Day (8M).
During this event, a group of A-level students from IES Ciudad de Arjona (Jaén), accompanied by their teachers, attended the talk ‘What if chemistry happens?’ given by pre-doctoral researcher Helena Corona. During the talk, they learnt what a typical day in her laboratory is like, discussed the techniques used to synthesise new chemical compounds, found out how she knows when a new compound has been formed, learnt about the materials and instruments she uses in her work, discovered the hazards involved in the day-to-day work of an organometallic chemist, and found out what happens when a discovery is made… They also had time to discuss what enzymes are, how they work, and the current trend towards trying to mimic nature in the laboratory.
What’s more, they were able to answer lots of questions about chemistry and the world of research. What is organometallic chemistry, and why is it so much cooler than organic or inorganic chemistry on their own? In what ways is your body like a factory? What is a catalyst, where can we find them, and why are they so important? Why is carbon dioxide so dangerous for our atmosphere, and what are the major challenges we currently face with regard to this molecule? In the end, it’s all chemistry.
The aim of this event is to bring science closer to young people, highlight the role of women in research and encourage an interest in scientific careers. During the discussion, the pupils were able to ask questions and exchange views with the researcher, taking centre stage in an open and participatory dialogue.