Ciencistorias: Science told in a funny way | books

With With? How did Mary Shelley come up with the idea that the body could move with electricity like a doctor did? Frankenstein? What is the correct way to prepare? FogoThe famous and expensive poisonous fish in Japan?

USFQ Press, editorial board Uniwersytet San Francisco de Quito, Gifts Hundreds of storiesA book where science and art come together to spark the curiosity of young readers of all ages.

The author holds a PhD in Chemistry Alexis Hydropo, USFQ professor who collaborated with illustrators Francisco Villarreal s Mariola Kwasek Hardcover that appears to be science fiction but is actually pure science, aimed at students and anyone interested in discoveries, landmarks, and scientific historical discoveries that have an impact on our current lives.

There was an idea Connecting liberal arts to science, with loads of chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology combined with art to create a more dynamic text for the reader.

Hidrobo runs the Cosmos Course, a program where students can view learning through everyday concepts and situations. “Inspired by this course, the book has been enriched with questions asked by students onceHe says and adds in the following chapters: Hundreds of stories It will become part of the chapter readings.

Architect and artist Francisco Villarreal explains that getting into the process of building writers allows them to engage with the magic of texts written in a fun and simple language. “On this basis, we were able to make illustrations. Illustration is a visual language that is just as important as writing, it allows the reader to understand the context of what you are trying to convey from a different angleThey have a certain imagination and different points of view. ”

You might think that science, strictly speaking, only allows one point of view. “But in the book, Alexis shows it as an explanation,” Villarreal says. “For us, the opportunity to play is very important, it awakens the individual intellect of people. The university does not aim to impart specific knowledge; The point is that the learner has a discovery process and experience to gain knowledge.

The book is thus available not only to science students, but to students of all faculties and to the reader in general. “It was a challenge for us to have the same intentions as Alexis,” z It combines rigorous science and a sense of humor in everyday life. “Technically Mariola is very serious and I’m a bit looser; this allowed us to better fit the intent of the script.

How did a science book compete in the age of highly interconnected relationships? “In Ecuador, many young people have a cell phone and the Internet, but not everyone has access to science books and enough information,” says Villarreal, unless reading is part of the course. “Most of the population is looking for short texts. Hundreds of stories Activates the ability to attract the attention of the reader and fully compete with electronic texts. We think it can help a lot.”

In addition, Villarreal believes that it is important to have such a book in art as a catalyst for ideas, So students can not only draw, color and illustrate their skills, but also learn how to transfer a concept into a pictureEspecially when they don’t describe things but ideas. “This is the most difficult challenge in art.”

So a little seriousness goes hand in hand with artist Mariola Kwasek. “Alexis has a dose of black humor, similar to Francisco’s illustrations; there are also very serious passagesEverything has scientific backingSo my illustrations aren’t very interesting, but always try to respond to the topic to get a little closer to the young reader.”

The ability to arouse curiosity is one of Kwasik’s strengths Hundreds of stories. “Alexis gives us strange words, links and data that sends us online for further investigation. We don’t just read the book, we arouse the reader’s curiosity to develop a specific topic. It seems of great value to me. Alexis pushes us to be more curious.

Read recommendations for the curious about the universe, science, and the future

• Cosmos, With Carl Sagan. This book (based on a documentary series) Space: a personal journey, 1980) Awakens the imagination towards science. Ann DruyanCarl Sagan’s wife recently published this book titled The Universe: Possible Worlds, with a story very similar to a TV series,” says Hidrobo.

• nature’s invention (Andrea Wolf) is the story of the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. them too Venus’ historyWhich brings us back in time to what ancient cultures and modern science looked like on Venus.

• With Ted Xiang (winner of four Hugo Awards and four Nebula Awards), exhalation (Science Fiction). “It makes us think about all the current technologies and all the possibilities of them being used or misused.”
• the future of mankind, by an American theoretical physicist, science publisher, and futurist Michio Kaku.

About the author and painters Ciencistorias

Alexis Hidrobo is a chemist from the Central University of Ecuador and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Chile. He is a USFQ Senior Professor and Coordinator of the Socrates Cosmos University Symposium. Moreover, it is Redaktor w USFQ on Mainstreaming Science for Children and Youth Science to the rescueAnd an active member of the Society of Contemporary Scientific Publishing House.

Mariola Koacek studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Pozna. Until 2019, she was a Founding Professor in the College of Communication and Contemporary Arts (COCOA) at USFQ. From 1978 until the present day, he has practiced plastic arts, especially in the field of artistic textile. In 2010, he was awarded the USFQ Award for Excellence in Scientific ResearchIn 2019, he was awarded the CED Award in the Best Teacher category.

Francisco Villarreal studied architecture at the Central University of Ecuador and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Poznan. He holds a Master of Fine Arts and was a Founding Professor of the College of Communication and Contemporary Arts (COCOA) at USFQ. In 2019, it was awarded the Best Education Assessment by CED.