NASE astronomy courses in South America

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Estudio del horizonte local

El estudio del horizonte es fundamental para poder facilitar las primeras observaciones de los alumnos en un centro educativo. Un simple modelo, que debe realizarse para cada centro, nos permite facilitar el estudio y la comprensión de los primeros rudimentos astronómicos. El modelo construido se presenta a su vez como un sencillo modelo de reloj ecuatorial y a partir de él se pueden construir otros modelos (horizontal y vertical).Postprint (published version

Widening the perception of engineering within society

In general, our society has no real views on or has an inappropriate idea about what engineering means. Everything related to pollution, bad usage of natural resources and human endeavours is connected to engineering. Modern society accepts the positive achievements that engineering has given us, but some people continue to hold a “negative opinion” related to technology. It is important to show and to explain to the general public that engineering generates many benefits to society. Communication is essential in our society. The Spanish programme “Ciencia en Acción” offers the possibility to link up with a general audience which has a positive approach to science, technology and engineering. This project began ten years ago from a group of scientist and engineers working in CERN, ESA and ESO who promoted a first meeting in Geneva, at CERN headquarters in order to give a message to European society by means of teachers and students. The main objectives of “Ciencia en Acción” are: • Finding new ideas to make science and technology attractive to the population • Pointing out the international character of science and technology • Promoting the interest in science for educators and students • Involving research in scientific and technologic communication activities • Showing the importance of science for progress and welfare in general. Our society continually needs more engineers and more from the engineers. If we want to change mind sets, we need to explain the applications and help the use of engineering to increase the quality of life of everybody in a sustainable manner. If we want to communicate successfully the advantages of engineering we must get close up to our audience. What are the facts that people remember best? Without doubt, the answer is “the facts involving positive emotions”. If we feel a passion related to some aspects of technology, we will remember it and we will add a positive connotation to engineering. This relationship will stay with the person for some time and it will be a cord that will not be broken easily. It is good that the experiences, and in special the first experiences with engineering, are exciting. If a child had a good feeling in the school when “making a device” with other children, he/she will continue with this positive feeling in the future. We must get the students to feel emotive in building simple devices or in solving some problems in the technological framework! School classes should offer some examples of this kind of experiences. We should use all the above mentioned strategies such as causing surprise, enthusiasm, encouraging the participation of everybody and to feel technology much more approach. These strategies can be presented in the “Ciencia en Acción” programme in order to show them to all the educational, scientific and technological communities. “Ciencia en Acción” programme is open to all the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and all the participants can present their contributions in any of the official languages in Spain and Portugal. The CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), INTA (National Institute for Aerospace Technology), the RSEF (Spanish Royal Physical Society), the SGE (Spanish Geologist Society) and the UNED (Spanish Open University) have annually organised “Ciencia en Acción” in order to increase the quality of science and technology communication and to promote innovation within science teaching. In the last edition of “Ciencia en Acción”, the Portuguese program “CienciaViva” (Portuguese Science Programme) has been integrated in the organisers group. This program moves Science and Engineering to the street by involving general audiences in both these areas. “Ciencia en Acción” increases in importance every year. The final event of the last edition grouped together about 15,000 people in two days. “Ciencia en Acción” is integrated in the international program “Science on Stage” organised by the EIROforum (the CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), the EFDA (European Fusion Development Agreement), the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), the ESA (European Space Agency), the ESO (European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere), the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) and the ILL (Institute Laue-Langevin) with the financial support of the European Union. In the most recent editions of “Ciencia en Acción”, a specific category has been promoted in order to bring the general public closer to “Science, Engineering and Values”. Several proposals were presented within this new category: from university departments, from engineering teams, and from NGOs coming from Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. This modality is sponsored by a chair linked to the Technical University of Catalonia and the leading electric company ENDESA showing that people involved in the management of public and private entities can reach agreement about the importance of the previously mentioned topics.Peer Reviewe

Evaluación de la transferencia de la formación permanente: análisis de una experiencia de talleres sobre astronomía

In the framework of a European project to bring astronomy near to children, several permanent teachers training activities were developed. These actions included workshops with teachers from various stages of the educational system.Postprint (published version

Frequency of nut consumption and mortality risk in the PREDIMED nutrition intervention trial

BackgroundProspective studies in non-Mediterranean populations have consistently related increasing nut consumption to lower coronary heart disease mortality. A small protective effect on all-cause and cancer mortality has also been suggested. To examine the association between frequency of nut consumption and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a Mediterranean country with a relatively high average nut intake per person.MethodsWe evaluated 7,216 men and women aged 55 to 80 years randomized to 1 of 3 interventions (Mediterranean diets supplemented with nuts or olive oil and control diet) in the PREDIMED (‘PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea’) study. Nut consumption was assessed at baseline and mortality was ascertained by medical records and linkage to the National Death Index. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression and multivariable analyses with generalized estimating equation models were used to assess the association between yearly repeated measurements of nut consumption and mortality.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 323 total deaths, 81 cardiovascular deaths and 130 cancer deaths occurred. Nut consumption was associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality (P for trend 3 servings/week (32% of the cohort) had a 39% lower mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) 0.61; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.83). A similar protective effect against cardiovascular and cancer mortality was observed. Participants allocated to the Mediterranean diet with nuts group who consumed nuts >3 servings/week at baseline had the lowest total mortality risk (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.66).ConclusionsIncreased frequency of nut consumption was associated with a significantly reduced risk of mortality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.Please see related commentary: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/165.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 35739639. Registration date: 5 October 2005

Compartir ideas, la universidad va al instituto. Análisis de la primera edición de un proyecto de aprendizaje servicio transversal a la Universidad de Barcelona

Esta comunicación presenta las principales claves de análisis y evaluación de la 1a edición del proyecto Compartir Ideas. La Universidad va al instituto. Este es un proyecto de aprendizaje servicio transversal que consiste en un ciclo de conferencias-taller impartidas por estudiantes de la UB sobre temes de interés general relacionados con sus estudios. El objetivo es compartir conocimientos y conversar sobre un tema que la universidad trabaja y que será relevante para la formación del alumnado de secundaria.El proyecto cuenta con el apoyo del Vicerectorado de Política Docente y Lingüística de la Universitat de Barcelona

Anímate a participar en "Ciencia en Acción" y "Adopta una Estrella"

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Un objetivo importante:la astronomía en preescolar y primaria

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