88th ICREA BREAKFAST COLLOQUIUM - Rock Art and Human Evolution
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Inés Domingo and João Zilhao (both from the UB)
When: 8th of October 2019, 9:00h
Where: Hotel Catalonia Plaza Catalunya, Bergara, 11, 08002 Barcelona
Abstract:
When and where did humans develop the capacity to communicate through symbols? Was symbolism recent, and unique to anatomically modern humans? Or did our more remote ancestors already possess a similar capacity? What can be termed as the earliest evidence of symbolism? The use of colour? Personal adornments? Visual arts? Figurative representation?
For nearly a century, the use of visual symbols to store and communicate information has been considered as one of the definitory features of the human species. Indeed, evidence gathered over the last two decades shows that the feature can now be documented much earlier than hitherto thought, including among the Neandertal peoples of Eurasia.
Using two different but complementary perspectives, archaeology and ethnoarchaeology (working with Indigenous people from Arnhem Land, Australia), ICREA Research Professors João Zilhão and Inés Domingo will explore these and other hot issues in current debates on what it means to be “human”.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
87th ICREA BREAKFAST COLLOQUIUM - Observing the dark side of the Universe with gravitational lensing and gravitational waves
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Ramon Miquel and Mario Martínez (both from IFAE)
When: 11th of June 2019, 9:00h
Where: Hotel Catalonia Plaça Catalunya, Bergara, 11, 08002 Barcelona
Abstracts:
Ramon Miquel
There is overwhelming evidence that most of the matter in the universe is in a "dark" form that neither emits nor blocks light, and is therefore invisible to even the largest telescopes. While the detailed nature of this "dark matter" remains unknown, its gravitational interactions can be used to detect it and study its spatial distribution as a function of cosmic time. Particularly relevant is the so-called "weak gravitational lensing" effect, in which the observed shapes of distant galaxies are slightly modified by the gravitational pull of the masses between them and us.
Since 2013, the DES Collaboration has been surveying an entire octant of the sky, measuring the position on the sky, redshift and shape of 300 million galaxies, together with thousands of galaxy clusters and supernovae. Using the dataset from its first season of observations, DES has measured the shapes of about 35 million galaxies, from which it has produced the largest (dark) matter map to date. Combining this with other DES measurements, DES has achieved an unprecedented precision in the determination of the cosmological parameters governing the growth of structures in the universe. The talk will present these measurements and discuss their relevance in shaping our understanding of the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of our universe.
Mario Martínez
The detection of Gravitational Waves from a black hole binary merger by the LIGO interferometer in 2016, confirming a 100-year old Einstein prediction, represented the beginning of a new era in the exploration of the universe. Shortly thereafter, the addition of the Virgo antenna into the network led to the detection of the first neutron star binary merger, which could then be followed in electromagnetic signals, and thus represented the beginning of multi-messenger astronomy. This single observation led to stringent tests of models for Gravity beyond General Relativity, an independent measurement of the universe expansion rate, and the observation of a so-called kilonovae and the ratification of the astrophysical origin of heavy elements in the periodic table. The LIGO and Virgo interferometers resume operations in String 2019 with improved sensitivity, thus promising new discoveries.
The talk will describe the sources of Gravitational Waves, their detection using extremely precise interferometry, the prospects of the experiments in the following years, and how Gravitation Waves are considered unique windows towards the understanding of Gravity at extreme conditions and the very early universe 13.8 billion years ago.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
“Quantum Physics: Understanding the Invisible”: next ICREA-CCCB cycle of debates
This April we will be having a new cycle of ICREA-CCCB debates with the title ‘Quantum Physics: Understanding the Invisible’. Five ICREA Research Professors will participate in the debates, which promise to be one of the highlights of 2019:
Friday 12th: What do we mean when we speak of quantum physics?, with Maciej Lewenstein (@ ICFO) and David Mateos (@ ICCUB)
Saturday 13th: A quantum future: the next technological revolution?, with Antonio Acín (@ ICFO), Clivia Sotomayor (@ICN2) and Aurelio Juste (@ IFAE)
All talks will be moderated by journalist Irene Lapuente and they will be held at the CCCB at 18:00h. Mark the dates!
For further information please go here
86th ICREA BREAKFAST COLLOQUIUM - Cell differentiation and cancer: role of gene regulation and dietary fatty acids
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Salvador Aznar Benitah (IRB Barcelona) and Luciano Di Croce (CRG)
When: 9th of April 2019, 09:00h
Where: Hotel Catalonia Plaça Catalunya, Bergara, 11, 08002 Barcelona
Abstracts:
Salvador Aznar Benitah
My laboratory is interested in studying how adult stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis, and why stem cells fail to function properly during ageing and tumorigenesis. In last years, we have been particularly interested in understanding how the timing of stem cell function is coordinated (i.e. biological clocks), how stem cells from distant tissues communicate to coordinate their function at the organismal level, and how their epigenome adapts from steady-state conditions to situations of stress.
I will present our latest data regarding the impact our diet has on the clock of stem cells and surrounding niche cells, and its profound effect on stem cell ageing. I will also discuss our recent finding on metastatic-initiating cells and how their metastatic potential is fully dependent on dietary fatty acids.
Luciano Di Croce
Our lab is interested in understanding how epigenetic modifications and chromatin changes are established and, once in place, how they affect gene expression, cell differentiation and transformation.
Polycomb and MLL/Trithorax complexes are evolutionarily conserved chromatin-modifying factors originally identified as part of an epigenetic cellular memory system that maintains repressed or active gene expression states.
I will discuss how Polycomb and MLL proteins (including novel associated factors) impact on transcription, genome architecture, and their role in stem cell biology and cancer.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
