The 10alamenos9 Nanostories competition “Concurs de Nanorelats 10alamenos9” is an activity of literature and science that arrived in Catalonia a couple of years ago. This year is consolidated with the 3rd edition, breaking the record of previous editions with 108 submitted stories.
This competition is international, in the framework of the 10alamenos9 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Festival, aimed at 3rd and 4th year secondary education (ESO) students and 1st and 2nd year of high school (batxillerat) students with the aim of disseminating nanoscience and nanotechnology. The stories have a maximum length of 200 words in the form of adventure stories, science fiction, fantasy, social story, or even poems or song lyrics. The only requirement is that the work is related to nanoscience and nanotechnology.
The competition is held in Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, Aragon, Valencia, San Sebastian and Asturias, along with Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The organizer at Spanish level is the Institute of Nano and Micromaterials (CSIC) in Madrid.
The nano-story competition in Catalonia
Since the first edition, the Catalan headquarters has been the most participatory of all sites. The organizing entities in Catalonia are the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the UB (IN2UB) and the Institute of Education Sciences of the UB (both of the University of Barcelona), the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), the Barcelona Institute of Materials Science (ICMAB-CSIC), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the Catalan Society of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SCN2) and the Vil·la Urània Civic Center; with the support of the Catalan Society of Chemists, Vil·la Urània, the Espai Jove Casa Sagnier in Barcelona and Editorial Onada.
The members of the jury where with Gerard Guimerà (SOCNANO), Anna Magrasó (IREC), Alfred Sànchez (ICE-UB) and Joan Mendoza, Eva Aracil, Aranzazu Villuendas, Felix Mata, Maria Barba, Josep Manel Rebled and Jordi Díaz of the CCiTUB in the first phase and for the finalists, Marga Pradas, Silvia Simon, Miquel Duran, Silvia Frias, Cinta Bellmunt of the ACCC and Eva Prats (CCiTUB).
Students from all over Catalonia from a total of twenty-nine high schools took part. Of the 108 stories, 50 stories where submitted from ESO students while 58 stories where from high school students. The most chosen topic where health-related, with a total of 42 stories, followed by sustainability (18) and nanotechnology in general (20), chemistry and nanomaterials (12) and nanoelectronics (4). 36 nanostories where written in Spanish while 72 where in Catalan.
Winners of the third edition
On May 11th, 2022, we celebrated the finale of the third 10alamenos9 nanostories contest in Vil·la Urània, coinciding with Feynman’s ephemeris. The winners are:
- Winner of the ESO category: Andrea Caballero (INS Pau Casals), for “El mensaje de la vida”
- Winner of the “batxillerat” category: Valentina (Institut Josefina Castellví i Piulachs), for “Mar Abierto”
The related news can also be found here in Catalan.
