The 1853-1856 cholera morbus epidemic in Portugal as seen by the press

This research is part of a larger project focused on producing a History of the Popularization of Science and Technology in Portugal. The goal is to find out how scientific knowledge reached the common people in the nineteenth century, using newspapers as the main source of information. Keeping in mind the population’s limited access to written material, nevertheless each newspaper could be read daily by an estimate 30.000 people in Lisbon, which places this source as probably the most widespread vehicle to divulge the latest scientific news at the time to an unspecialised audience. With a cholera morbus epidemic which affected the second largest Portuguese town and all the northern regions, as well as the Algarve, news and reports on its evolution were considered essential. A large database was built in order to analyse the news concerning this disease in 1855 and 1856, especially the ones about prevention and treatment. These are important historical sources that give us real information on the scientific knowledge of the time and the way it was used by society

Drugs in ads and news: educating people in the nineteenth century press

This research aims at finding out how scientific knowledge reached the common people in nineteenth century Portugal, using newspapers as the main source of information. Collecting news on science and technology is part of a larger research project focused on producing a History of the Popularization of Science and Technology in Portugal, following a model already developed in the UK and the USA (Bauer 2007). This source was probably the most widespread vehicle to divulge the latest scientific news at the time to an unspecialised audience. The following themes are approached: Drug advertisements in the nineteenth century. How did scientific knowledge on diseases and treatments reach the consumer? How did newspapers deal with epidemics? What were the prevention measures and the known treatments at the time? And what was the role of newspapers as educators? Ads show us the interest on divulging new products and the role of publicity as moulder of minds. All these questions introduce us to the role of the media on the subject of social perception of science and technology and the way scientific knowledge reached the common citizen

Innovaciones en el poder local en Portugal: Contribuciones para la democracia social

In Portugal important legal innovations have been introduced in local government, related to the problems of negative images associated with longevity and corruption, and a decrease in voters’ turnout. Independent local lists were introduced into the race in the form of citizen groups, mayors’ terms were limited to three and there was a parity law. Participative budgets and decentralized local council meetings have also provided new tools for citizen participation. The object was to discuss whether these innovations are real contributions for local democracy. Methodology included the analysis of the legislative process and its enforcement, and practical consequences, namely on new representatives and citizen participation.Em Portugal foram introduzidas inovações legislativas importantes no poder local, relacionadas com o problema da imagem negativa associada à longevidade dos autarcas e à corrupção, assim como ao aumento da abstenção. Foram admitidas listas de independentes, sob a forma de grupos de cidadãos eleitores, os mandatos dos presidentes de câmara foram limitados a três e foi aprovada a Lei da Paridade. Os orçamentos participativos e as assembleias municipais descentralizadas também proporcionaram novos instrumentos para a participação dos cidadãos. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir se estas inovações contribuem de facto para a democracia local. A metodologia incluiu a análise do processo legislativo e da sua aplicação e consequências práticas nos novos representantes eleitos e na participação dos cidadãos.Le Portugal a introduit d’importantes innovations législatives dans le pouvoir local, liées au problème de l’image négative associée à la longévité des élus locaux et à la corruption, ainsi qu’à l’augmentation de l’abstention. Les listes d’indépendants, sous forme de groupes de citoyens électeurs, sont désormais admises, le nombre de mandats des maires est limité à trois et la Loi de la parité a été adoptée. Les budgets participatifs et les conseils municipaux décentralisés offrent aussi de nouveaux instruments pour une plus grande participation des citoyens. Cet article cherche à savoir si ces innovations contribuent vraiment à la démocratie locale. La méthodologie suivie comprend l’analyse du processus législatif et de son application, ainsi que les conséquences pratiques sur les nouveaux élus et sur la participation des citoyens.En Portugal se introdujeron innovaciones legislativas en el poder local relacionadas con el problema de la imagen negativa asociada a la longevidad de los alcaldes y a la corrupción, así como al aumento de la abstención. Fueron admitidas listas de independientes bajo la forma de grupos de ciudadanos electores, los mandatos de los presidentes municipalesfueron limitados a tres y fue aprobada la Ley de Paridad. Los presupuestos participativos y las asambleas municipales descentralizadas también proporcionaron nuevos instrumentos para la participación de los ciudadanos. El objetivo de este artículo es discutir si estas innovaciones contribuyen, de hecho, para la democracia local. La metodología incluyó el análisis del proceso legislativo y de su aplicación, y de las consecuencias prácticas en los nuevos representantes electos y en la participación de los ciudadanos

Mind the gaps: from formal to informal education - from university to society

Education is an inalienable right of human beings and a fundamental requirement for individuals to have access to goods and services available in society. A formal education hierarchically structured with a chronologically graded ‘education system’, run from primary school through the university. In turn, informal education is a truly lifelong process and enables individuals to acquire attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience. This work shows how a group of university students enrolled in the graduation program of Biology and Geology at University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, can learn some biochemical subjects by creating 3D pieces. These are both relevant for students´ learning of the particular scientific topic under study but also for promoting and disseminating some informal knowledge about the same topic to different public. In fact, the created objects were exhibited in a public library during 15 days, on behalf of the celebration of The World Water Day, promoted yearly by the United Nations on the 22nd of March. Simultaneously, a set of hands-on activities designed for children between 6 and 10 years old and having as theme “Water – Value the Drop!” was promoted during a Saturday morning of the same week, in collaboration with an association of the undergraduate students enrolled in the degree of Applied Biology, at the same University.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Da Universidade para a Comunidade - a água que é de todos

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Um 100 número de Scientiae em objetos do dia a dia

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Searching for chemical elements: a multidisciplinary activity in the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

[Excerpt] 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and has therefore been proclaimed the "International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019)" by the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO [1]. A working tool very useful to various professionals and in diverse scientific areas, this table would not exist if someone had not distributed and ordered the chemical elements according to the value of their atomic weights. The father of the Periodic Table, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907), was so visionary that his Table allows housing not only the known chemical elements at that time but also the ones still unknown that came to be discovered or synthesized. When we come across this Table, with so many chemical elements, we ask ourselves how we use them and where we can find each of them, in our real world

Women Mayors in Portugal: A Case Study in Political Representation and Citizenship

ABSTRACT Introduction: The article presents a historical analysis of the participation of women in Portuguese politics and reveals the positive effects of the introduction of the parity law in 2006. In the 2015 national elections, for the first time one third of the elected the Members of the Portuguese Parliament were women. However, in municipalities there is still a long way to go to reach this level of female political representation. Does the political system limit women’s access only to elected positions? Thus, important questions remain: why are women still a minority in local politics? What obstacles do they encounter? And what can be done to improve the situation? Materials and Methods: For this investigation, data were collected on the electronic pages of municipalities and political parties, as well as in the press, to monitor the evolution of the presence of women in Portuguese local government, initially as members of the administrative commissions appointed to manage municipal councils from 1974 to the first elections that took place on December 12, 1976 and then as elected representatives from 1976 to the latest 2017 local elections, comparing this level with central government. Results: The study of this group reveals higher educational levels and more specialized jobs among women than among men, particularly in teaching and management. There is also discussion of partisan membership and it is revealed that left-wing parties invest more in women for local government than do right-wing parties. Discussion: Although four decades have passed since the democratic regime was established, the representation of women in politics is still incipient. We present some examples of policy actions that can encourage the presence of women in local government and increase their role as active citizens

Do ponto ao espaço: contributo do croché para a matemática do planeta Terra

O projeto "Ponto a Ponto enche a Ciência o Espaço" assenta numa iniciativa intergeracional colaborativa e evidencia a relação entre a Biologia e a Matemática no âmbito da geometria hiperbólica. As atividades desenvolvidas têm por base uma Instalação em croché que recria um recife em coral e procuram proporcionar aos seus participantes ambientes interdisciplinares de ensino e aprendizagem ricos na diversidade, estimulantes e desafiantes, que lhes permitam desenvolver a sua capacidade para explorar, conjeturar e raciocinar logicamente. O tema da Geometria, neste caso particular da geometria hiperbólica, propicia o desenvolvimento dessas competências ao requerer a aprendizagem dos diversos conceitos geométricos, das suas relações e propriedades, aliadas a capacidades, entre outras, de visualização espacial, de raciocínio e de argumentação, identificadas como fundamentais (Vale, 2012).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio