From gold that lights up neurons to the search for life on other worlds: “What do we know about…?” returns to Donostia

Published: November 5, 2026

Five free talks from 12 November to 11 December, organised by the Materials Physics Center (CFM, CSIC-EHU) and CSIC, with nanotechnology, quantum physics, election polls, astrobiology and geothermal energy.

Can gold particles help us understand the brain? What is quantum physics really, a hundred years on? How far can we trust election polls? Are we alone in the universe? Can the Earth’s heat keep our homes warm? The “What do we know about…?” (¿Qué sabemos de…?) lecture series answers these questions in Donostia / San Sebastián. It is organised by CFM and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), with the support of the Sociedad Fotográfica de Gipuzkoa and Kutxa Fundazioa.

Ana Sánchez Iglesias and Marek Grzelczak

Ana Sánchez Iglesias and Marek Grzelczak in their lab at CFM.

Our researchers Ana Sánchez Iglesias and Marek Grzelczak open the series on home ground with “When gold lights up neurons”: what gold nanoparticles are, why they interact with light in such a special way and how they can be used to modulate neuronal activity wirelessly, with real examples developed in the Basque Country.

Programme

  • 12 November, 18:30 · CFM. “When gold lights up neurons” — Ana Sánchez Iglesias and Marek Grzelczak (CFM, CSIC-EHU).
  • 19 November, 18:30 · Sociedad Fotográfica de Gipuzkoa. “Quantum physics, no tricks: 100 years on” — Carlos Sabín (Autonomous University of Madrid).
  • 26 November, 18:30 · Sociedad Fotográfica de Gipuzkoa. “Opinion polls: what they tell us (and what they don’t) ahead of the 29 November general election” — Sara Pasadas del Amo (University of Córdoba).
  • 3 December, 18:30 · Sociedad Fotográfica de Gipuzkoa. “What do we know about… astrobiology?” — Carlos Briones (Centre for Astrobiology, CSIC-INTA).
  • 11 December, 17:30 · Sociedad Fotográfica de Gipuzkoa. “Geothermal energy: the renewable gift from planet Earth” — Cristina de Santiago Buey (IGME-CSIC).

The series grew out of the popular-science book collection ¿Qué sabemos de? (CSIC – Los Libros de la Catarata), with more than a hundred titles written by researchers. Admission is free until full, and every talk leaves time for discussion with the audience.

Full programme and information: https://cfm.ehu.es/es/que-sabemos-de-2026/