Kepler and 'the irreducible and obstinate facts'

This issue coincides with a turning point for CAAUL and for Portuguese astronomers and astrophysicists in general. In July, CAAUL organised the 23rd national meeting for astronomy and astrophysics (XXIII ENAA), the showcase for the exciting research carried out in the various universities and institutes throughout Portugal and beyond, research that is proving more and more difficult to pursue given the straightened times we live in. Results were presented in a diverse range of areas including planetary systems, stellar properties, stellar evolution, the Milky Way galaxy, extra-galactic astrophysics, cosmology, astroparticle physics – see below a brief report by Ismael Tereno and Elvira Leonardo

DA “RESPIRAÇÃO DOS ANIMAIS” AO CONCEITO DE ENERGIA

A produção e a utilização de narrativas históricas é, hoje, objecto de interesse no âmbito da investigação em Educação em Ciências, revelando ser uma via importante para uma utilização educativa da História e Filosofia das Ciências. Neste artigo desenvolvemos uma narrativa histórica, com base nos textos de Lavoisier e Seguin (1789-1790) sobre a respiração dos animais. O seu objectivo é desenvolver alguma sensibilidade para o significado do conceito de energia, cujo desenvolvimento ocorrerá cerca de cinquenta anos depois, e evidenciar como o conhecimento científico traduz, nessa época, o equilíbrio da natureza

ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: DYNAMICS, OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES

Online teaching and learning in higher education: dynamics, obstacles and challenge

Delicate empiricism and romance in education for sustainability

The education for sustainability must start with the awareness of our relationship with the natural world. The absence of direct and sensorial experience with the natural world, leads to a narrow understanding of environmental phenomena and a weak awareness of their relationship with human life. In this article we explore the concepts and methods of Goethe’s “delicate empiricism” and Whitehead’s “romance”, which we applied in the project Education for Sustainability - ID-Natura (University of Évora). This project, involving teachers, researchers and pupils (from pre-school to secondary level education) from schools in Évora, Portugal, is based on the idea that experience in proximity with the natural world is an important basis of knowledge processes and of the development of environmental awareness. The testimonies of the pupils resonate with “romance” and “delicate empiricism”. Their lived experiences and reflections portray the interconnected intellectual and sensory dimensions of an educational path to gain knowledge that recognizes the values that are fundamental to the caring for the Earth, our common home

Vegan ice-cream: a consumer trend or the future?

Worldwide consumption of vegan products has substantially increased in the last decade,asconsumers become more aware ofthehealth, environmental and ethical consequences of consuming animal products. Leveraging on this trend, well-known retail brands decided to invest and created their range of vegan products, includingvegan versions of their best-sellers. The ice-cream category is one of these categories. In this Work Project, by combiningmultipleresearch techniques, it was possible to understand how veganismhas evolved, and how this reflects onshopper's behavioursand motivations. The insights collected made it possible to identify the most appropriate group of consumers brands should targetinPortugal, as well as propose some marketing recommendations for them to take advantage of this growing trend.These recommendations are not directed to one company only, but rather it is a casestudy that can be an example for other categories in Portugaland abroad

experiences in (environmental) education

UID/HIS/04666/2019In this time of ours we definitely need to multiply the approaches, linkages, connectedness, cross-boundaries gatherings and holistic views as soon as we talk about environmental education. Environmental education came to age integrating diversity and complexity, promoting meetings in multilevel ways, namely with other species, weaving bonds of communication and pushing thought in direct experience with the natural world. Replying to that challenges, the ID-NATURA project encourages multi-meetings between pupils of all school levels (kindergarten, elementary, secondary), teachers and researchers from different disciplinary areas and among those and the natural world, specifically the “river of my village...”. This paper is inspired by J. W. Goethe’s methodology of knowing nature, the delicate empiricism; Goethe’s approach to nature is valued, as a way to educate for sustainability, and some important results this project are presented through pupils’ voices.publishersversionpublishe