Saturday 30 October 2010

Ante la cada vez más abundante proliferación de conferencias, cursos, seminarios y todo tipo de actividades que diferentes corrientes pseudocientíficas están desarrollando dentro del marco de las universidades españolas y latinoamericanas, tendencia que cristaliza en la reciente creación de una Cátedra de Investigación sobre Homeopatía en la Universidad de Zaragoza, los abajo firmantes (científicos, profesores, alumnos y ciudadanos en general) nos vemos en la necesidad de manifestar lo siguiente:

La colaboración entre la Universidad y la Empresa, así como con otros organismos y agentes sociales es enriquecedora, productiva y debe ser considerada como una de las prioridades de la política universitaria. Los acuerdos y contratos para la transferencia de resultados de la investigación a la empresa privada pueden representar una importante fuente de financiación para las universidades públicas; los cuales, desarrollados convenientemente, permiten una mayor productividad científica y la optimización de las aplicaciones de tal actividad. Sin embargo, creemos que no es justificable que la Universidad busque vías de financiación a cualquier precio, y aún menos si con ello pervierte su filosofía y fines fundamentales.

La Universidad Pública, como cualquier otro organismo de la administración, debe estar al servicio del ciudadano, manteniendo un contacto permanente con la sociedad de la que forma parte, mediante una comunicación constante que permita la sintonía entre el mundo universitario y las necesidades sociales. Para cumplir estos objetivos, la Universidad debe ser un adalid en lo referente a innovación y a exploración de nuevos caminos para el conocimiento. La Universidad nunca debe ser una estatua, sino una animación en constante movimiento.

No es posible entender la función investigadora y el compromiso social de la Universidad sin la imbricación con su papel fundamental en la formación de ciudadanos libres, capaces de enfrentarse al mundo mediante una mentalidad crítica que les permita escapar de las cadenas de la irracionalidad, la superstición y la ignorancia. Esta función docente, completamente consustancial a la institución universitaria, va más allá de las aulas, al representar la Universidad un referente en cuanto a conocimiento y racionalidad para toda la sociedad.

En este sentido, la Universidad juega un papel muy importante ante el avance que en la sociedad contemporánea están teniendo determinadas corrientes anticientíficas y antirracionales, que pueden suponer un significativo retroceso hacia el oscurantismo y la superstición, algo que se encuentra en el polo opuesto de los objetivos universitarios. Nos preocupa, como universitarios y como ciudadanos, que bien entrado el siglo XXI cada vez prolifere un mayor número de terapias más próximas a la magia que a la medicina, en muchas ocasiones amparadas por instituciones y empresas médicas profesionales; nos preocupa que presidentes de gobierno consulten astrólogos; que pulseras mágicas declaradas oficialmente fraudulentas sean portadas por ministros de sanidad y constituyan el regalo más vendido de las últimas navidades; que cada vez haya más ciudadanos que crean firmemente que las vacunas son tóxicas y nefastas para la salud; que aumente el número de enfermos que abandonan el tratamiento médico para abrazar alternativas esotéricas; nos preocupa muy seriamente que gran parte de la población vuelva a confiar más en los curanderos que en la medicina científica.

Nos preocupa que la Universidad pueda convertirse en un mercadillo que de cabida a cualquier alternativa irracional al conocimiento científico. Sólo una mal entendida apertura de mentalidad puede justificar que se enseñe alquimia en las Facultades de Química, ufología en las de Física o el diluvio universal en las de Historia. Ofrecer el foro universitario a las pseudociencias, en igualdad de condiciones con el conocimiento racional, no se traduce en ningún enriquecimiento cultural, sino en una validación universitaria de la superstición y la charlatanería. Difícilmente podremos educar a nuestros hijos sobre la inexistencia de bases empíricas en la predicción astrológica si van a encontrar en el campus universitario cursos de postgrado en astrología.

Reza una de las máximas en ciencia que la razón no debe aceptar algo como cierto sólo porque lo afirme mucha gente o porque lo suscriban personajes importantes, y que siempre es necesario detenerse ante cualquier afirmación y dudar sobre si es o no cierta. Esto obliga a actuar mucho más despacio, a sopesar cuidadosamente las opciones, a avanzar con cautela ante cualquier tipo de propuesta. Y esta es una de las cosas que creemos firmemente que debe enseñarse en las universidades.

Por todo ello, nos preocupa que la Universidad de cabida a cursos sobre acupuntura, a conferencias sobre creacionismo, a seminarios sobre astrología y a cátedras sobre homeopatía. Nos preocupa especialmente si no se enfocan como un debate crítico y un análisis racional, sino con un presupuesto de funcionalidad y validación científica de los que no sólo carecen, sino que están en frontal oposición al espíritu crítico universitario.

En el caso concreto de la homeopatía, aunque de igual aplicación para el resto de pseudociencias, no se ha demostrado científicamente ni su fundamento teórico (que contradice nuestros conocimientos sobre química y medicina más elementales), ni su efectividad más allá de un placebo. Décadas atrás, se destinaron importantes estudios a buscar una posible base en los postulados homeopáticos, los cuales no han variado significativamente en doscientos años, base que jamás se encontró.

Nos resulta extremadamente paradójico que mientras gobiernos europeos retiran fondos y apoyos estatales a la práctica homeopática, en España se instauren cátedras dentro de las universidades públicas. El aval que esto supone, sitúa a la homeopatía, a la astrología o al espiritismo dentro de la categoría de disciplinas universitarias; máxime cuando no nos encontramos exclusivamente ante una actividad de investigación sobre un fenómeno dudoso, sino ante una institucionalización dirigida a la formación y divulgación de estos postulados.

Consideramos por último, que si bien está justificado profundizar y destinar fondos a cualquier aspecto que pueda ser investigado, la especial situación económica actual convierte la inversión de esfuerzo y medios en este tipo de disciplinas totalmente desacreditadas en un acto de puro despilfarro de recursos, que podrían emplearse en líneas de investigación y docencia muchísimo más prioritarias.

Las personas que desde distintos estamentos y colectivos de la sociedad suscribimos este manifiesto, deseamos llamar la atención sobre este importante aspecto al conjunto de la población y, especialmente, a las autoridades académicas y gubernativas, confiando en que la razón acabe imponiéndose sobre la superstición y el oscurantismo.


Friday 4 June 2010

Do you want to know how I feel right now?

Then click here and press the red button (speakers on) :D

Monday 3 May 2010

El otro día vi un post en un blog (bastante interesante si te va Android) en el que abrían un sorteo cuyo gran premio es un Nexus One; como el único requisito es nombrarlos en un post, y esto es gratis, aquí me tenéis... a ver si me toca :D

El concurso está organizado por "El Androide Librehttp://www.elandroidelibre.com/

Si queréis participar, podéis encontrar las bases aquí

Saturday 24 April 2010

One. If you are planning to have some dinner in Glasgow, the place in the picture is a place to avoid, the food is good but the service is very bad, I'm not going to give many details, just find a different (and probably better) place.


View Larger Map


And two. Today I've seen Kick Ass, and my punctuation is... FREAKING AWESOME!! You cannot imagine the great time that I have had in the cinema. Wow, I was expecting just a regular movie, maybe a couple of laughs... but this film has a level of awesomenimity that not many movies can reach, and the soundtrack is just perfect: the perfect songs in the perfect moments.
I didn't know that the director was Matthew Vaughn, and this is the second time that he surprises me. When I watched Stardust, I didn't know anything about it and I was just thinking about spend almost two hours with a random movie... but after 10 minutes I was totally loving that beautiful fairy tale; I think that I'm going to watch it again soon :D
Definitely, this is a guy that we should not lose sight of.

Friday 23 April 2010

All my world being blown up, uncertain future... Tomorrow is still dark, but I know where is my place, I know where I want to be then... HERE!! Yes, it will be difficult to find a job, to deal with the language and cultural differences, but I do not care, I'll receive the strength needed to shake the planet!
If you know me enough, you knew that the probability of that happening was almost 1, and there was a big anchor but its rope was cut... so I don't want to see anybody surprised (:

Hundreds of things are happening here (remember the picture, in some years you will start seeing something similar in TV's all around the World!), experiences, meetings... and my entire being needs to stay.
But for now, I'm still "fighting" the big "monster", trying to study all that I can (I must say that I'm quite absentminded) to not have any problem coming here next year and start with the big stuff.

If you are reading from Spain, hopefully, next time that I see you, it will be for a long farewell :D

"Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city"

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Wow, I do need to share this TED talk, awesome, if you're a musician, you won't be able to close your mouth in the 20 minutes of video,; and if you are not, I'm very sure that you will enjoy it anyway.



Podéis activar los subtítulos en varios idiomas (español entre ellos).

Wednesday 31 March 2010

I have a (very difficult) exercise for today: no complains.
You (well, we) need to be the whole day without saying anything bad about anyone, blaming anyone for any problem. One day without saying that we have bad weather, talking about things that goverment has done or about that things that you dislike in your neighbours. Not claiming if some part of your body hurts (well, if it seems to be something serious, please, go to see the doctor), not talking about how bad is your teacher (or boss), not saying anything unpleasant about your mother's food... A whole day without complaining, without anger, without expressing hate and without saying nothing dangerous, are your ready?

Sunday 7 March 2010

Ala, hoy toca algo en Español ;)



No os asustéis, la canción no refleja mi estado de ánimo, al contrario (y más después de ver el vídeo).
Han hecho una versión más "pro" pero como era de esperar le han quitado tooooda la gracia.

Wednesday 3 March 2010

As usual in me, I have left this blog semi abandoned, but well, today has been a special day, and I thought that it was time to update it with something more than a Youtube video.

I'm being really busy, I didn't noticed that this semester is shorter than the previous one, we are almost finished! I'm almost done with my project (next week I have a demonstration), and this last month has been hard but more interesting, finally I started to do something "real", not only read books and articles!

This morning have started dark, I have had some "unexpected" (at least so soon) news, but well, I have really good friends (here and in Spain) that are helping me to deal with them.

Here I am, building a new life (now with better foundations) brick to brick, don't know what will happen in the future, where I'll be then, but I'm finding myself and I have clear where I must look.

One year more... I can't feel any difference, but on paper is starting to be a big number :O

Tuesday 16 February 2010

A really beautiful traditional Scottish ballad.

Monday 1 February 2010

This evening I have received a sad e-mail from my Bioelectronics Professor: all our baby hamster cells have died over the weekend... NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Please, lets have one moment of silence.
.
.
.

Today I'm not very happy, so I'm going to extend this moment until tomorrow (;_·)

Friday 29 January 2010

Yesterday was a good day :)

First at all we had our first (and I think that single) lab of Bioelectronics... really different to what I am used, instead working with electronic components or computers, our material was baby-hamster cells :D
It is a simple experiment were we have to grow cells in different samples (gold, aluminium, etc.), but it was funny, we felt like biology or medicine student, with our white coats, microscopes, trying to keep everything sterile... what a waste of material, after using any instrument, we had to throw it!
Next week, we will return to see what has happened (slow experiment! :P)

Apart of technical stuff (here you can see that they have enough money), there is a big difference with Zaragoza Uni, in Zaragoza, when you are in lab, usually there is only one person to help and check that all is correct; here the room is full of people: main professor, some assistants of the course and lab assistants!!

After that, at night, happened the big suprise, still cannot believe it: I won something in a raffle (and twice)... I think that is the first time in my life that happens :)
I bought only two stripes of numbers and the two were prized!! First a soaps kit and after that two DVD ("La vie en rose" and "Millions") Lucky day!
Even without this happening, was a great night, definitely Ceilidhs are one of the best things in the world :)

Thursday 28 January 2010

Finally, this week I have tried Haggis, and I can say they are really tasty... but they have a problem: when I ate them, the inner Scottish that is inside all of us started to wake up and it made me buy a kilt (a cheap-ass one... for now), and a bagpipe!!
I'm afraid of what will happen when I eat more ('cause I'll do :P)

After wearing the kilt for a while I notice that it's really comfortable!! I think that it would be a great idea, export them to the rest of the world (well, at least to Spain)... and they are also very stylish :P

About my new blowing-toy, I bought a practice one in order to be able to play in home without the police calling at my door :P and because it was the cheaper one (the cheapest Highland bagpipe was more than 600 pounds!), but I am VERY happy with it, sounds nice, and it is really funny :P

I think that I have discovered why Scots are such a nice people:
- You need to blow A LOT to play a bagpipe, you start to feel dizzy... we can say that this is some kind of happiness, plus
- Whisky and beer and whisky and beer and whisky... everybody is definitely happy, plus
- Kilts are freedom, even more happiness!!

Monday 18 January 2010

Sometimes when I'm studying, cannot avoid thinking that I'm just wasting time, I'm not understanding what those symbols want to say to me... but when I finally catch up a concept that has been "disturbing" all that time, I feel sooo good! :D

I spent the whole last week working with a book that seems to be a good one, but I was having that feeling, just reading meaningless lines, and "suddenly" Friday I found other book that has opened my mind, I have advanced more in this weekend than in all the time since Christmas Holidays, hope that I can maintain this timing :S

This semester I am VERY busy in the University, the project, lot of courses... but I'm happy, be doing all these things make me busy and I almost don't have time to "other" thoughts; also the lectures are quite interesting, until now all that I have been studying was too focused to the same, now I'm having more variety: maths, electronics, computers, biology, physics... I think that this happiness will disappear in a couple weeks when the exams period begins, but that will be a future-"Nat" (I have a new nick) problem.

Future-present-past... time! Is time to go to bed, tomorrow's gonna be a long day.

Saturday 16 January 2010

If you don't know this artist, just sit and listen this beautiful song (with a nice video clip, btw); if you already know her, do it again ;)





There are six billion people in the world
more or less
and it makes me feel quite small
but you're the one I love the most of all

Friday 15 January 2010

Cough, cough, this is full of spiderwebs, cough, cough!!
Sorry, it has been a long time since the last time that I wrote here, after my last post has been a really busy time... but I think that I'm going to be able to continue with this little project.
Finally I have been in London!! Yes, before Christmas I went to spend some days with a couple of friends there (David y Jeza :P ), I think that I have visited all the London atractions... and now I can assure you that this big city cannot do anything against any town of Scotland (at least all that I have visited :P); it was nice, with hundreds of places to visit, but I didn't like the style at all, I still prefer castles, towers... If I have to choose the place that I liked the most... I think that it is de Science museum (I have to go back to visit it again with more time, and more money because I NEED all the stuff that is selt in their store :P). Also, cannot forget to say that I felt a bit dissapointed about the London Christmas, don't know, I was expecting something like New York in the TV, full of Christmas trees, Christmas lights, Christmas people... English people is really boring, Glasgow was a better place (and the commercial streets were full of people playing music :D).

Also these Christmas holydays have been less productive than I had would like, meeting with family, with friends... and a lonely new year, but this is one of my New Year resolutions, as you see there is no 2010 in the period of time that I has written in the title of this post, the past has gone with it good and bad things, we have to live the present and not to be stuck in what happened, all the future planning has been blown up,and now the future is a white canvas, so, paraphrasing Sir J.M.Barrie, I have to say: to live will be an awfully adventure.

Coming here again was an example of adventure, it was a very long day! I woke up at about 7 am, and I arrived to Glasgow at about 11 pm (Spanish hour), everthing has happened in that journey: canceled bus, delayed (and almost canceled) train, attempted theft, delayed flight... a really exhausting day... but I am here again, with a lot of things to study, and a lot of things that I want to do... unfortunately, some of them, like going to some concerts (Celtic Connections rulez), won't be able to be, my economy is not very strong now :P

I will try to write more often again, and hopefully I won't break a leg in the slippery ice that is in all the city :D

Saturday 9 January 2010

... to be in Glasgow again. I'm TOO tired, I'll write something tomorrow.