Last month, we once again welcomed the participants of Bojos per la Física ("Crazy about Physics"), a program organized by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera in which first-year high school students visit Catalan research centres such as ICMAB, ICN2, IFAE, and ICFO on Saturdays over the course of several months.
Bojos per la Física in the 2026 edition
During this year’s session, following the usual introduction to ICMAB by Anna Drou from the Communications Department, two outreach activities were carried out, the central one of which is described below. We will use this article to begin a series on the centre’s outreach activities, the people who organize them, and various reflections on science outreach.
Colloids: Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials
The activity, led by Luis Pérez, begins with an introduction to the most fundamental concepts: light, matter, and their interaction. It then progresses through the properties of colloids and their applications in emerging technologies. In this way, participants are introduced to the logic of fundamental research: the need to understand the simplest elements of matter before moving on to the complexity of real-world applications.
Through a series of simple activities, students experiment with different parameters of nanoparticles (NPs), exploring how changes in these parameters can modify the properties of a material.
Students being introduced to the samples they will experiment with
On weekdays, the activity is complemented by visits to the TEM and the Spectroscopic Techniques Lab, guided by Judith Oró and Víctor Vallejo, respectively, and sometimes also by a visit to the SEM with Anna Esther Carrillo. Through these techniques, students can observe the complete process of synthesis and characterization that is common in materials science research.
Characterizing the samples with the TEM operated by Judith Oró
From Argentina to Barcelona: The human side of outreach activities
Luis Pérez joined the NANOPTO group at ICMAB in 2018, although he had previously collaborated with the group through Alejandro Goñi. After completing a degree in Chemistry and Pharmacy at the Universidad de Córdoba (Argentina), he first visited ICMAB in 2010 during his PhD studies, which he completed in 2012.
After finishing his undergraduate studies in 2006, he worked as a teaching assistant from 2004 to 2009, organising practical laboratory activities for first-year Chemistry and Pharmacy students. During this period, he began to view science from a different perspective, focusing on its foundations, an approach that he continues to apply in outreach activities aimed at audiences of all levels.
His time at the university also coincided with its 400th anniversary, which sparked a wide range of science outreach initiatives. Through the university, he became involved in the group Enlazados por la Química, which develops outreach and educational projects with schools located in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Their work includes teacher-training workshops, the design of educational kits, and the establishment of school laboratories.
Although science communication attracted his interest from an early stage, he recognises that pursuing it alongside research was not always easy. In general, scientific supervisors don’t advise to get involved in outreach activities, although he believes the situation may be changing today. The main argument against such activities is that they take time away from more important tasks. However, he remains convinced that outreach is beneficial not only for society but also for researchers themselves and for the research process.
Luís Pérez and colleagues from last year Bojos per la Física. From left to right: Thomas Günkel and Guilherme Telles (SUMAN) and Xiaoyu Qi and Luis Pérez (NANOPTO)
Moreover, initiatives such as DORA—the Declaration on Research Assessment, which advocates for a broader evaluation of research impact—have contributed to the growing recognition of these types of activities.
Reflections on science communication: To simplify or not to simplify?
Luis Pérez reflects on science outreach, on its potential and on the wide variety of communication goals it can pursue, which are at least as diverse as its audiences. How much technical and scientific simplification should be introduced in order to adapt to the audience’s prior knowledge?
On the one hand, outreach can help explain how science works, challenge stereotypes, and connect with people through everyday language. On the other hand, there is a risk of oversimplifying scientific work and overlooking its challenges, limitations, and complexities.
One example is the use of lemon juice to discuss natural reducing agents for metallic precursors, a resource that is frequently employed in outreach activities. While lemon juice can serve as a useful model to illustrate the chemical principle of reduction—and may even represent an interesting alternative in certain green chemistry processes—it cannot universally replace laboratory reagents.
Analogies can be effective in some contexts but not in others, and, above all, their limitations must be clearly explained. This perhaps reinforces the idea that outreach activities are an excellent gateway into science—especially when adapted to the audience’s level of knowledge—but they also have limitations. They should therefore be complemented by rigorous science education, diverse role models, and greater scientific coverage in mainstream media, among other initiatives.
Related articles:
Bojos per la Física 2025: learning about colloids and the quantum levitating train at ICMAB
ICMAB hosts the last session of the 2024 edition of "Bojos per la Física"
