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Juan Colmenero «XX. A 20th century person is not a cult without scientific knowledge»

This physicist has been awarded this year the Euskadi Research Award for his work on polymers so used. He is currently director of the Donostia International Physics Center, created with Pedro Miguel Etxenike.

“XX. A 20th century person is not a cult without scientific knowledge»

What often happens to scientists is to work quietly for years, not to be accepted by society and go unnoticed. The physicist Juan Colmenero de León, fortunately, has not happened anything similar, since this year he has received the Euskadi Research Award from the Basque Government. We have interviewed him for his opinion on this award and his research.

What do you feel when the quiet work done for years is rewarded?

Well, first of all, a lot of joy. This award is recognition of teamwork carried out over the years. Although our work has been known worldwide, with respect to society, scientific activity is a silent work. This award serves to bring us closer to society.

What else do you think should be done to get your work into society?

Well, the problem there is is not today and it is explained very easily. If compared to a literary work or art, for people who do not have scientific knowledge, it is very difficult to understand science and therefore it becomes much more difficult to approach the public. To fill this gap, first of all, it is necessary to improve basic scientific training. I think XX. A 20th century person is not cultured without scientific knowledge, because our world is based on technology. On the other hand, scientific disclosure also has a place in this work. We also work at Physics Center at this level. For example, in November we will teach courses aimed at teachers, the sciences XX. Explain the contributions made in the twentieth century.

Returning to the award, the jury highlighted the importance of his research work. Could you define what it is?

The work done in the last ten years has been awarded. Our work has been to analyze the dynamics of polymeric systems, that is, the study of plastic materials. Our research has been carried out in microscopic measures, since the application of these materials is based on the movements of atoms. To investigate the movements of atoms we work with neutrons. Our mission is to channel neutrons and bombard them with the same subjects we are studying. Here's what happens to neutrons. That is, what direction they take, how their speed changes, etc. In this way it is known how the atom was inside the molecule and how it has moved.

Your work techniques have also been awarded, right?

Yes. We are not the first nor the only ones to investigate how atoms move in the molecule. We are known because we analyze the movements of atoms from a new point of view. The technique used so far has been exclusively relaxation. Our contribution has been the combination of known techniques. Specifically, we have combined relaxation technique, neutron dispersion and molecular dynamics to finally analyze the results with mathematical methods.

We are surrounded by polymers all day long. Why are they so successful?

The large use of polymers has a very simple explanation. Its properties compared to others are very suitable. They are very easy to process, have good mechanical properties and are also lightweight.

You also participate in a new European project. What is the idea of this new project?

As I told you, we work with neutrons. The problem is that so far neutrons were produced mainly from nuclear reactions, but as is known, residues generated from these nuclear reactions are dangerous. There is another way to get neutrons, but it is not yet so used. Particle accelerators, called space sources, are used to do this. At the moment, there are only small facilities of this type, such as Switzerland or England. They plan to build a large center in the United States and we also want to create the best neutron source in the world in Europe. It will be a giant project that will cost a lot of money. I am part of the scientific committee that works on defining the scientific parameters of the project and is composed of thirteen scientists. We have three years to define this project. This week I am going to Germany to participate in a meeting of this committee. In February, we will meet here at the Physics Center.

What do you think of the scientific level of the Basque Country?

The situation is very heterogeneous. Some groups are very leading and are among the top ten in their specialization. The level of other research groups is slightly lower. In short, in Euskal Herria we have technological tradition, but not so much scientific, and for this it takes time. In addition, we are a small community and cannot be high-level scientists in all scientific fields. However, although in the last 20 years we have improved a lot, I think improvements can always be made. The institutions, for their part, I think they are quite sensitized, much more than in other autonomous communities and other European institutions. They are clear that the future cannot be developed without considering science.