196
might then say to themselves, ‘If these people who are just like me can do it,
then why not me?’ I believe that in this way we have helped overcome selfimposed limitations so that new generations might fight for their dreams; we
have injected self-confidence into the island community. It cannot be quantified but it is positive.
The IAC has always counted among its aims the diffusion of science and
technology in popular culture, and was the first Spanish research centre to set
up within its directorate a unit specifically for that purpose. It is known today
as the Press and Outreach Unit (UC3, after its Spanish initials).
This structure was organized and consolidated in the early eighties by Luis
Martínez Sáez. I knew Luis well, we had been colleagues at the Faculty.
Intelligent and able, he has great experience in dealing with people and excels
in management, organization, and communication. Employed as Head of the
Director’s Support Team, his many tasks included a mission to set up the
mechanisms of science communication as part of IAC activity.
Being so far from mainland Europe, the Canaries require specific strategies.
The fruits of these strategies have proved to be tangible: the popular image of
the Canary Islands today goes hand in hand with their skies and astrophysics,
and astronomical tourism is on the rise. The islanders take pride in their
Institute of Astrophysics. The IAC has become a landmark in science and
technology, not only in Spain, and the Observatories have come to occupy a
key position in European Big Science. Luis Martínez is an authority in the
communication of science, having published on the subject and given university courses.
It has been a struggle to get this far and has required continued intelligent
effort in the face of incomprehension, even internally. Our own researchers
initially saw outreach as a waste of time, but today many of them most willingly dedicate part of their time to it.
The IAC’s main thrust in popularizing astronomy and interacting with the
public has been the opening up of its Observatories to public visits. Some
time ago an empty telescope dome at Teide Observatory was converted into a
visitors’ centre, and a science cultural park is now being finished (at long last!)
next to Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. Each year thousands of people,
from school children to international conference participants, film crews, and
other groups, visit the IAC and its Observatories. International celebrities
from the worlds of science (Nobel laureates included), politics (including
heads of state), finance, literature, and art—even show business—have passed
through our Observatories. The Canarian Observatories have become an
extremely attractive and exotic curiosity. For this reason, our open days also
produce a massive turnout.
F. Sánchez
might then say to themselves, ‘If these people who are just like me can do it,
then why not me?’ I believe that in this way we have helped overcome selfimposed limitations so that new generations might fight for their dreams; we
have injected self-confidence into the island community. It cannot be quantified but it is positive.
The IAC has always counted among its aims the diffusion of science and
technology in popular culture, and was the first Spanish research centre to set
up within its directorate a unit specifically for that purpose. It is known today
as the Press and Outreach Unit (UC3, after its Spanish initials).
This structure was organized and consolidated in the early eighties by Luis
Martínez Sáez. I knew Luis well, we had been colleagues at the Faculty.
Intelligent and able, he has great experience in dealing with people and excels
in management, organization, and communication. Employed as Head of the
Director’s Support Team, his many tasks included a mission to set up the
mechanisms of science communication as part of IAC activity.
Being so far from mainland Europe, the Canaries require specific strategies.
The fruits of these strategies have proved to be tangible: the popular image of
the Canary Islands today goes hand in hand with their skies and astrophysics,
and astronomical tourism is on the rise. The islanders take pride in their
Institute of Astrophysics. The IAC has become a landmark in science and
technology, not only in Spain, and the Observatories have come to occupy a
key position in European Big Science. Luis Martínez is an authority in the
communication of science, having published on the subject and given university courses.
It has been a struggle to get this far and has required continued intelligent
effort in the face of incomprehension, even internally. Our own researchers
initially saw outreach as a waste of time, but today many of them most willingly dedicate part of their time to it.
The IAC’s main thrust in popularizing astronomy and interacting with the
public has been the opening up of its Observatories to public visits. Some
time ago an empty telescope dome at Teide Observatory was converted into a
visitors’ centre, and a science cultural park is now being finished (at long last!)
next to Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. Each year thousands of people,
from school children to international conference participants, film crews, and
other groups, visit the IAC and its Observatories. International celebrities
from the worlds of science (Nobel laureates included), politics (including
heads of state), finance, literature, and art—even show business—have passed
through our Observatories. The Canarian Observatories have become an
extremely attractive and exotic curiosity. For this reason, our open days also
produce a massive turnout.
F. Sánchez