XIV. CAF-Elhuyar Awards: a work on the intelligent environment
2008/02/29 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia
In the articles section, the first prize went to "Appliances have more taste playing jazz than playing the symphony". The author is Aitor Urbieta Artetxe, computer engineer. With this article, the author wants to enter the world of intelligent environments and for this he has taken two protagonists that resemble any of us: Mikel and Ane. The author tells us the life of Mikel and Ane, first in a house without intelligence and then in a smart house. In this house, the devices, coordinated and communicated with each other, will automatically cover our daily desires and needs. Thus, what the user used to do by hand (symphony of devices, as user director) now the devices will do it automatically (jazz between devices).
The article does not simply highlight the differences between one house and another. Therefore, the jury has highly valued the work of Urbieta. According to the jury, the article "shows us that we are at the door of that dream, the smart house, in a simple way and at the same time with full depth".
The second prize went to the algorta physicist Jon Azkargorta Aretxabala, with the work "The hidden face of the moon". In this work, Azkargorta talks about the relationship between Earth and the Moon, its characteristics or, if desired, its peculiarities. In fact, the jury has stated that "the dynamic relations of the Earth with our satellite and the physical laws that exist between the two are easy to express", and has affirmed that "the author combines well the scientific knowledge with the dream desire that this beautiful mother produces us human beings".
The third prize was for the work entitled "Egur hila, erreka bizia". Its author is Lide Aristegi Urkia, beasaindarra and biologist. Aristegui speaks in this article about the ecological importance of dead mountain woods and those that are wet in rivers. This is what he has researched in his doctoral thesis and in this article he has managed to translate the subject into simple words. The jury highlighted this effort for this work: "We have often read the importance of rotten wood from forests. But the wealth that can generate dead wood around a simple river is for the new majority. In the line of surprise, we will read this article on a ramp, as it has a precise and proper writing."
Finally, San Sebastian engineer Xabier Artaetxebarria Artieda has received the special award for young people. "Computer diagnosis: medical computers?" Artaetxebarria has presented his work and told how computer diagnostic systems have been developed, what they are technologically based and what results they offer.
Like the first prize winner, in this article the jury highlighted that the writer leads us to a near and exciting future. "In it, machines will have an important role in the field of medicine when it comes to computer imaging. And machines will facilitate tasks and diagnosis to doctors."
In total, 3,000 euros have been awarded and each of the winners has received a sculpture by Imanol Andonegi. On the other hand, the winning articles will be published in the magazine Elhuyar Zientzia eta Teknika of April, in a specific dossier on this edition of the contest.
Informative book: Physics and metaphysics
Javier Navarro Los Arcos has received a scholarship to write an informative book. His project is called Physics and Metaphysics (Photo: Poly)
In addition to the articles section, this edition has awarded a book project. In this edition, the prize of 5.000 euros for the writing of the Book of Divulgation has been for the chemist from Pamplona Javier Navarro Los Arcos, for his project entitled Physics and metaphysics.
The author uses time and space, physics, to understand our nature. But there is something that goes beyond nature, as Aristotle himself emphasized, and that science cannot assume: God and the soul, for example. These are the metaphysics. And those are, Physics and metaphysics, the axis of this book of fables.
After the awards ceremony, the book by Begoña Arrate Larrañaga Biziaren sarea ehatzen was presented. Begoña Arrate received two years ago in the CAF-Elhuyar awards the prize to the book of disclosure, a project that has already seen the light and has become a book of the same title. In the writer's opinion, and according to the postulates of some scientists, the XXI. 20th century will be the century of networks and the study of nature through the science of networks will allow the human being to take significant steps. Therefore, the aims of the book are to explain what the philosophical-scientific debates about this idea consist of and help readers imagine what the network of life is like.
Jury
Five people formed the XIV. Jury of the CAF-Elhuyar Awards:
- Koldo Nuñez, geologist and director of the IMH School of Engineering
- Cristina Alberdi, head of marketing and communication at Inasmet
- Mikel Álvarez, doctor and general director of Cruces Hospital
- Joseba Etxebarria, engineer and former professor at Mondragon Unibertsitatea
- Enrique Ortega, Professor of Applied Physics and researcher at the University of the Basque Country
Published in Berria
Gai honi buruzko eduki gehiago
Elhuyarrek garatutako teknologia
