Año: 2014
Talking about Probabilities … and a Phenomenal Experience
Chances of getting a Fulbright scholarship are very low. Let’s take my year. 22 Spaniards we were fortunate to get the scholarship out of a pool of 263 applications. So, let’s make the simple assumption that the probability of getting a Fulbright scholarship in Spain is 8%.
The transmission of Culture and its Biases
The word revolution has several meanings. Nowadays it has a devalued connotation, referring to relatively substantial but not necessarily radical changes in social, economic, technological or cultural behavior. However, there are in fact real revolutions that are (or have been) extremely important in different areas. Some – political and economic – revolutions have a direct impact, sometimes at a huge human cost. Other – cultural and technological – revolutions are more subtle with long-term effects. The media and associated technology used to transmit the strange phenomenon that we call ‘culture’ also influence what is preserved and for how long.
The Cine Migratorio Film Festival
At the beginning of this summer I was furiously preparing for the third Cine Migratorio film festival in Santander, Spain. During my final three months of my Fulbright ETA grant, this film festival consumed me. It was exhausting, challenging, and […]
First planet confirmed from the Calar Alto Observatory
An exoplanet is confirmed for the first time using an instrument built by the Calar Alto Observatory, Almería, Spain. It is the first planet orbiting a giant star whose confirmation is beyond any doubt. The planetary nature of an […]
An astronomer called Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes, the great Spanish author, tried to go to the Americas in more than one occasion. I wonder whether he would have been a Fulbright scholar if he would have lived in the modern times. In the end […]