Science Week celebrates its 30th anniversary, having spent three decades disseminating scientific research and knowledge in Catalonia. Over 1.5 million people have enjoyed some 10,500 science-related activities for all audiences. The 30th edition of Science Week (SC'25), organized by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) with the support of the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, will feature more than 380 talks, guided tours, routes, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and other activities until Sunday, November 16. The central theme of SC'25, which is supported by BBVA, Amgen, and the "la Caixa" Foundation, will be quantum technology, aiming to bring the importance of quantum science and its applications closer to the public. This election commemorates the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025), promoted by the United Nations. The thematic focus is not exclusive, as the Week maintains its multifaceted, thematically diverse philosophy, one of its distinctive features for the past three decades. The complete program of activities is available at [website address missing]. Science Week websiteThe SC'25 mobilizes, in Catalonia, more than one hundred institutions and entities in the field of research and science outreach, including universities, research centers, major infrastructure projects, academies, schools, scientific associations, libraries, museums, and companies.

Sonia Fernández-Vidal (Barcelona, ​​1978) holds a PhD in information and quantum optics from the UAB. She is also a writer and science communicator.

She grew up in Mataró, in the Palau neighborhood. She attended the Angela Bransuela School, where her father worked as a teacher. "I had a great time, I loved learning. I was one of those kids who loves school." She immediately became interested in science. "I remember waiting in the library for my father to finish work, and when I was very young, a book fell into my hands: Bibliography of scientists. It was for children and was illustrated by Pilarín Bayés, with whom I would later make a book when I grew up. These things of destiny... And I remember that it had a huge impact on me, because I thought, what important people. And from then on, I said: I want to be a scientist."

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The drain of scientists from the United States is accelerating. Donald Trump's return to the US presidency has shaken the research sector, which has already seen the new administration withdraw grants for projects from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and censor lines of research related to gender perspectives and the climate crisis. Discontent has increased as cuts to science have intensified, and as a result, more and more researchers are seeking work abroad. An exodus of scientists is confirmed by an analysis by the journal Nature, which states that between January and March 2025, 32% more researchers working at American institutions have submitted applications for work abroad compared to the same period the previous year.

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