Our mission is to tell what we do: the ICMM celebrates its 1st Outreach Conference

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"We have a responsibility to society." This is how the director of the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), CSIC, José Ángel Martín Gago, has spoken in the opening talk of the center's I Outreach Conference. The objective of this meeting was clear: to remind researchers of all ages of the need to tell society what science does

Because it is not just pleasure or fun, but the dissemination of science is part of the mission of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and, as such, it is also the mission of ICMM. A task that for many years has been undervalued in the scientific career, but which is gaining more and more recognition. "Part of our work is also to train and disseminate, not just write scientific articles", recalled Eva M. García Frutos, who described the activities carried out at ICMM with educational centers.

The day, which has had the participation of various outreach teams that have recounted their experiences and activities, has consisted of a series of mini-talks (a maximum of 5 minutes per group) in which the scientific staff has told how they disseminate their work, and why. In addition, in the second part of the event, Susana de Lucas, Dissemination and Communication Unit of the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB), CSIC; and Pedro A. Serena, a researcher at our center, have given two evergreen talks: more reasons on why it is necessary to disclose and examples of success, the first; and security recommendations, the second.

Anyone who has passed through the Assembly Hall of the center will have been able to see researchers who have a passion for what they disclose. "It fills you up inside", Íñigo Bretos recognized when speaking of the 'Touching Science' activity, in which boys and girls of all ages "hallucinate" with the experiments that scientists bring to class in the already famous (and highly requested) 'Cart of Science'.

Margarita Darder, one of those responsible for the Guided Visits of centers to the institute, has exposed the need for more people to join the activity, since the requests from educational centers never stop arriving, and being able to make more routes would allow reaching more potential future young researchers.

"I have always wanted to spread the word, I have found my place here," said Estrella Sánchez, a young researcher who has just joined the Superconductivity team and who was, never better said, the 'star' in one of the last informative days that the ICMM celebrated in La Casa Encendida thanks to the Cooper ghost and the power of magnetism.

Silvia Gallego, the representative of the Equality Commission and coordinator of the activities carried out within the European Researchers Night, has also been inspiring and clear: "We want to provide references", she said. In addition, he has invited those who have attended (and those who will read this later) to participate in these activities in any way: "Your skills outside of science are also very useful," he said. do you paint? Do you sing? Do you knit? There is room for you. Don't you do any of this? No matter what, support volunteers are also needed. "It's a good opportunity," added Pedro Serena, who, in addition to summarizing some security measures, spoke about the Nanotechnology Festival.

Jesús Ricote, deputy director of the ICMM and master of ceremonies at the event, has insisted on inviting everyone to sign up for the activities: both existing ones and inventing new ones. Because there are always new ideas and new ways of telling science to the public. If the salary received by those who work in science in Spain is public, it is logical that they are accountable and explain what is being achieved with that money. Because things are achieved. Many. And seeing the faces of the population when you tell them about it is priceless.

If you want to know what outreach activities we carry out at ICMM, take a look at this website.

-- Angela R. Bonachera - ICMM Communication --