Hey everyone! 

 

We are one of the groups who have had the unique chance to take part in the very first edition of the BIYSC. We have just come back from our first day of work on the project "NanoLight: Light and Matter at the Nanoscale", which is held at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), in Castelldefels (Barcelona).  

 

Its aim is to study the interaction of light and matter at the nanoscale from an interdisciplinary approach in order to develop a treatment for cancer named Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy, which minimizes collateral damage to healthy cells. Today, the researchers Federica Beduini and Marta García-Matos, have guided us through the Institute and have told us about the basic theory behind the experiments we will carry out during the following week.

 

Not only have we gained new scientific knowledge, but we have also not left empty-handed. We have been given welcome gifts such a very cool ICFO mug or a pair of glasses that diffract light into different colors. Moreover, we have gained some insight on quantum mechanics and its intrinsic randomness. We have been told about the Big Bell Test, an easy way to contribute to a quantum mechanics experiment which will take place on the 30th of November 2016 around four continents and at the same time. By googling bigbelltest.org and playing the game based on pressing ones and zeros, the randomness of your pattern will be evaluated. We, the ICFOnians, strongly encourage you to help researcher prove the quantum mechanics model.

 

We have felt so inspired that we wanted to describe our experience in prose. Therefore, we have felt the need to write these verses:

 

 

 

 

We beat the other groups

everytime we fight.

'Cause we are ICFOnians,

and we study light.

 

We were just joking,

the glasses had us hightened.

Observing diffraction,

we are the enlightened.

 

We met Federica,

'Bout ICFO she spoke.

She's lighting our paths,

Do you get the joke?

 

To avoid plastic cups

a mug was given.

Now we're part of the family

and global warming 's being smitten.

 

Quantum mechanics

had to be approached.

Randomness doubted,

Big Bell Test was done.

 

Cancer we must fight,

methods perfected

by using the light,

challenge accepted! 

 

 

The ICFOnian team: 

 

Cristian Asensio

Andrea Bravo

Samuel Capellas

Júlia Gimbernat

Danitza Iniesta

Marc Piquer

Monica Vidal