The UAB participates in the International Year of the Periodic Table

Department of Chemistry Professor Pilar González Duarte will be in charge of inaugurating this international year in Catalonia with a conference entitled “150 Years of an Essential Scientific Discovery: the Periodic Table” on Tuesday 5 February at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona.

21/01/2019

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019) with the aim of celebrating the genesis and development of the periodic table since the discovery of the periodic system by Dmitri Mendeléiev one hundred and fifty years ago.

For the organisers of the initiative, “the periodic table of chemical elements is one of the most significant scientific achievements and is a unique tool which helps to predict the appearance and properties of matter on Earth and in the rest of the universe. The IYPT 2019 will also serve to acknowledge the importance of chemistry in the promotion of sustainable development and in the search for solutions for global challenges in the fields of energy, the environment, education, agriculture and health.

The Catalan Society of Chemistry (SCQ) will be the organiser and also coordinator of all activities held during this year in Catalonia in celebration of IYPT 2019. The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona also participates in the event as a coordinating member and various of its lecturers will be taking part in the events.

The inaugural event will be held on 5 February at 7 p.m. at the Ovidi Montllor Hall of the Institut del Teatre (Plaça Margarida Xirgu s/n, Barcelona). The event will be presided by Catalan Minister of Business and Knowledge Àngels Chacón and will include a conference entitled “150 anys d’un descobriment científic cabdal: la taula periòdica” [150 Years of an Essential Scientific Discovery: the Periodic Table] by Dr Pilar González Duarte, member of the IEC and professor of the Department of Chemistry at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Dr González will speak on the wonders of the periodic table proposed by Dimitri Mendeléiev in 1869 with the aim of organising and systemising the behaviour of chemical elements, the evolution of the table in these 150 years and its full validity today as one of chemistry's main axes. Dr Santiago Álvarez, professor of the Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, will present a set of chemistry-related musical pieces, selected for this occasion and interpreted by the string quintet of the Vallès Symphonic Orchestra.

The inaugural event will be presented by Anna May Masnou, scientific spokesperson for the Catalan Association of Scientific Communication (ACCC), and will include the participation of Joandomènec Ros, President of the Institute of Catalan Studies; Carles Bo, President of the Catalan Society of Chemistry; and Pilar Goya, President of the European Chemical Society. The event will end with a speech by Àngel Messeguer i Peypoch, member of the IEC and research lecturer of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The UAB and several centres located on campus will be participating in the following IYPT 2019 activities:

Conference “Qui era Dmitri Mendeléiev, l’enigmàtic químic rus?” by Agustí Nieto-Galán, researcher at the UAB Centre for the History of Science (CEHIC). The conference forms part of the cycle on “Visions de la ciència. Les mil cares de la taula periòdica", coordinated by Lluís Reales.

28 January at 7 p.m. at the Sagrada Familia-Josep Maria Ainaud de Lasarte Library. Carrer Provença 480, Barcelona.

Debate “Emmagatzemar energia. Molt més que carregar el mòbil” by Pedro Gómez-Romero (ICN2), Gonzalo Guirado-López (UAB), Jordi Llorca (UPC-BarcelonaTech) and Rosa Palacín (ICMAB). Addressed to upper secondary school students.

8 February at 12 noon. CosmoCaixa. Carrer Isaac Newton 26. You must register to attend by sending an e-mail to rcosmocaixa@magmacultura.net

Workshop “La funció de la taula periòdica en l’ensenyament de la química: analitzar i millorar propostes d’aula” by Carlos Agudelo (UB) and Mercè Izquierdo (UAB). Addressed to secondary and primary school centres and vocational training centres.

13 February at 6 p.m. CESIRE- Department of Education. Avinguda Drassanes 10, Barcelona. Please register to attend here.

Conference “2019 International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements: The endless story!” by Jaume Casabó Gispert, emeritus professor of the UAB Department of Chemistry.

25 February at 12 noon. Carles Miravitlles Auditorium at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Carrer dels Til·lers, s/n; UAB.

For more information on activities please visit
http://www.taulaperiodica.cat/