Help me research science and the arts!

[Ben]

Hi everyone, I have to write a big article for a travel guide about Spanish society today and could do with some input on a couple of sections, maybe you guys could help.

These are:

Art/literature/music - what characterises these scenes in Spain today? What's big, who are the major contemporary names?
Science - What's big on the Spanish science scene today? :confused:

Any input very gratefully appreciated!

[Dave_K]

Hi everyone, I have to write a big article for a travel guide about Spanish society today and could do with some input on a couple of sections, maybe you guys could help.

These are:

Art/literature/music - what characterises these scenes in Spain today? What's big, who are the major contemporary names?
Science - What's big on the Spanish science scene today? :confused:

Any input very gratefully appreciated!


I'm not sure if it's big relative to other sciences, but neuroscience has had a long tradition in Spain. Ramon y Cajal won the Nobel Prize in 1906 for characterizing the neuron essentially as we still know it today. Today, there are lots of things named after Ramon y Cajal like fellowships (a prestigious one for Spanish postdoctoral researchers in any science to get), awards, a hospital, and I think a museum.

I don't think you'd have any problem setting up an interview with a neuroscientist at one of the Madrid universities if you just phoned them up or sent an email. The scientists I've known enjoy ego-gratification :rolleyes:.

[greytop]

There have been a lot of articles in the Valencian press re transplants at La Fe hospital. One lady has both hands replaced and there are more waiting for similar.
On the arts scene the Spanish cinematographic industry has been well to the fore internationally. Also architecture both in and out of Spain has been making the headlines.
PS to Dave_K - every town on this side of the country has a Calle/Avenida Ramon y Cajal
Happy hunting

Links added
Scientific papers submitted (http://www.in-cites.com/research/2004/july_12_2004-2.html)
Ministry of Science press notices (http://notasdeprensa.mec.es/notasdeprensa/servlet/lista)

[Edith]

Dr. Jordi Sabater Pi from Barcelona is a specialist in primatology and ethology (the study of animal behavior). I always thought Jane Goodall discovered the use of tools and other cultural behaviors by chimpanzees in the wild, but Sabater Pi seems to have preceded her. His theories concerning nest-building behavior in early hominids are somewhat controversial, though. He is the author of a book, El Chimpancé y los origines de la cultura.

Dr. Jordi Sabater Pi also studied other great apes in Africa, such as gorillas. In 1966, he captured an albino lowland gorilla in Ecuatorial Guinea and took the animal to Spain, where it was nicknamed Copa de nieve (snowflake) because of its white coat. Soon, Copa de Nieve became an international celebrity, and the ensuing media circus greatly annoyed the primatologist because he felt there was nothing really special about an albino gorilla. Apart from that, the international public didn’t seem to be interested in his scientific research at all – Snowflake made all the headlines while he did not.

A very short bio:

Emeritus Professor of Psychobiology and Ethology at the University of Barcelona.
Collaborator of Dianne Fossey in Africa, he discovered the Giant Frogs of Rio Muni. He also discovered and rescued the only white gorilla in the world.
Curator of the Zoo of Barcelona.
Curator of the Ikunde Center (Guinea Ecuatorial).
President of "Hominid Project".

And a BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_3284000/3284201.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_3284000/3284201.stm)

[Dave_K]

Dr. Jordi Sabater Pi from Barcelona is a specialist in primatology and ethology (the study of animal behavior). I always thought Jane Goodall discovered the use of tools and other cultural behaviors by chimpanzees in the wild, but Sabater Pi seems to have preceded her. His theories concerning nest-building behavior in early hominids are somewhat controversial, though. He is the author of a book, El Chimpancé y los origines de la cultura.

Dr. Jordi Sabater Pi also studied other great apes in Africa, such as gorillas. In 1966, he captured an albino lowland gorilla in Ecuatorial Guinea and took the animal to Spain, where it was nicknamed Copa de nieve (snowflake) because of its white coat. Soon, Copa de Nieve became an international celebrity, and the ensuing media circus greatly annoyed the primatologist because he felt there was nothing really special about an albino gorilla. Apart from that, the international public didn’t seem to be interested in his scientific research at all – Snowflake made all the headlines while he did not.

A very short bio:

Emeritus Professor of Psychobiology and Ethology at the University of Barcelona.
Collaborator of Dianne Fossey in Africa, he discovered the Giant Frogs of Rio Muni. He also discovered and rescued the only white gorilla in the world.
Curator of the Zoo of Barcelona.
Curator of the Ikunde Center (Guinea Ecuatorial).
President of "Hominid Project".

And a BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_3284000/3284201.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_3284000/3284201.stm)

I've heard of Snowflake! My wife told me about him and was surprised that I didn't know who he was.

On a sort of related note, she said there used to be a pseudo-zoo (I think in or near Retiro maybe) called something like the "House of Beasts" (I forget the exact Spanish) where they had apes, lions, etc in cages that you could pay a few pesetas to look at.

[Edith]

I've heard of Snowflake! My wife told me about him and was surprised that I didn't know who he was.

Snowflake was a real National Geographic celeb! :) The poor creature died of skin cancer a couple of years ago, which was a great loss for the Barcelona zoo.

where they had apes, lions, etc in cages that you could pay a few pesetas to look at.

I think it's really sad when animals are kept in tiny enclosures like that because its turns them into neurotic, depressed wretches. Fortunately, most modern zoos are very different! (By the way, the things I remember most about Retiro are the boats and the Spanish Hare Krishnas we ran into!)

[Dave_K]

Snowflake was a real National Geographic celeb! :) The poor creature died of skin cancer a couple of years ago, which was a great loss for the Barcelona zoo.



I think it's really sad when animals are kept in tiny enclosures like that because its turns them into neurotic, depressed wretches. Fortunately, most modern zoos are very different! (By the way, the things I remember most about Retiro are the boats and the Spanish Hare Krishnas we ran into!)

She says it was called "La Casa de Fieras" (wild/ferocious animals) and it was located in Retiro. She remembers that you couldn't get too close to the monkey cages or they would grab your hair.

[richardksa]

On a sort of related note, she said there used to be a pseudo-zoo (I think in or near Retiro maybe) called something like the "House of Beasts" (I forget the exact Spanish) where they had apes, lions, etc in cages that you could pay a few pesetas to look at.

There is a pit in the Retiro where now animals painted on plywood cutouts now pose. It is hard over by the eastern boundary. I once posted a pic of a gnome sitting on a house from there and this pit is about 20m from that house. I thought the painted animals looked naff and didn't take a photograph. Dammit! Should have done. :(

[Ben]

Thanks for all the help guys, the science bit really had me stumped!

[ValenciaSon]

Juan De La Cierva, inventor of the autogyro, predecessor to the helicopter.

[Ben]

OK, bit more help required, does anyone know who or what is big in Spain now, i.e. contemporary, in the fine arts or literature? Thanks!

[djS]

World's biggest solar power farm opens

It occupies a plot the size of seventy football pitches and can supply all the energy needs of 12,000 households all year round. The world's largest solar power farm was inaugurated yesterday in Beneixama (Alicante).
When fully operational (40,000 panels are already in use), its 100,000 8Mw solar panels will be capable of generating 30 million kilowatts an hour.



Music i com back to you on that

[Ben]

Thanks djs, good point about the solar power.

[parubin]

Hi Ben,
About science, maybe you should mention Spain being world leader in medical transplants and organ donations.
In fact this issue has been on the news recently because Spain will be organizing a world-wide database to control and manage human transplants all over the world.

More info in some newspapers :

http://www.heraldo.es/heraldo.html?noticia=195412
http://www.huelvainformacion.es/61728_ESN_HTML.htm
http://blogs.periodistadigital.com/vidasaludable.php/2007/03/30/espana_capital_mundial_en_trasplantes
http://www.websalud.com/articulo.html?d_date=&xref=20070330salwsdsal_10&type=Tes&anchor=wsdsannac

If you remember, the issue of how human transplants are dealt with in Spain, was briefly addressed at the beginning of the film "All About My Mother" (Almodóvar). I hope this has been of some help.

I think you should consider talking too about spanish new architecture (Calatrava, Bofill and so on).

Good luck with your article, and let us know how it ends up when you're done.

[Ben]

many thanks Parubin, that is just what I needed to finish off the science section. Now all I am missing is a bit more of contemporary art and literature - maybe the suegro can help on that!

Ben

[jcm_mad]

Hola Ben

Writers:

Javier Marias, Jose hierro, Juan Goytisolo, Juan Marsé, Mercedes Abad, Miguel Delibes,Alvaro Pombo, Los hermanos Panero, Fernando Arrabal ....

Painters:
Antoni Tàpies, Miquel Barcelo, Antonio Lopéz, Pablo Palazuelo, eduardo Naranjo ....

architects:
Santiago Calatrava, Rafael Moneo, Ricardo Bofill (padre), Enric Miralles, Miguel Fisac, Juan Navarro ....

scientists:
Jon Arsuaga, Margarita Salas, Mariano Barbacid, Enrique Zuazua

and more

Ferran Adriá, Pedro Almodovar,Miguel Abad, Fernando Trueba, Jose Mari Arzak ....

Un saludo

[Ben]

many thanks jcm!