Science also flourishes on Sant Jordi

It's been almost a month since we welcomed spring in the northern hemisphere. Average temperatures have begun to rise, the thaw is awakening wintering animals, migratory birds are returning, trees are blossoming, and poppies and their scarlet color fill the roadsides. Spring arrives loaded with culture and gifts us with holidays like Sant Jordi and International Dance Day. It encourages walks in the countryside and bookstalls. Today, with our eyes on the quintessential day of books, we suggest five publications: a child being born, a heart beating, a mother traveling, a questioning humanity, and a science journalist who will make us travel without moving from our chairs.

'My Stolen Birth', by Nahia Alkorta (Ed. Arpa, 2023)

In this story, Nahia Alkorta tells us, in first person, about her unhappy birth—the birth of her first child—how she's dealing with a dramatic legal dispute, and why we must demand the right to a dignified birth. Nahia, like many other women, suffered obstetric violence followed by post-traumatic stress disorder. She filed a lawsuit that went through all the national courts without being heard. Finally, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has ruled in her favor and urged Spain to take measures to eradicate obstetric violence.

'Always Forward', by Valentí Fuster (Columna Editions, 2024)

Life is fragile, complex, and uncertain. From the story of a birth to the biography of one of the most internationally recognized cardiologists and health researchers, Dr. Valentín Fuster.

How did a boy who dreamed of being a tennis player become a world-renowned figure in medicine? What happened along his path to derail his destiny so much? The life experiences of an admirable person—their achievements and their defeats—are always a great inspiration to younger people, or those curious to know how one step leads to another, and what the other's journey has been like. This book shares Dr. Carpintero's personal and professional lessons. It explores cardiovascular health research and everything we've learned about heart attacks.

'Mom's Going to Antarctica', by Anna Cabré and Mariona Tolosa (Ed. Zahori, 2020)

Children live off potential dreams, off all they can be and perhaps will be—if they put their dreams into motion—or never will be. It's important to remember that science is everyone's business, young and old. Homeward Bound ProjectThis recognition led her to an expedition to Antarctica, where 100 women worked for the planet's sustainability while calling for more feminine leadership. This great news came at the same time as Anna's need to explain to her children what Mom's job was when she went so far away. So, accompanied by illustrator Mariona Tolosa, she created this book that Anna, and all women around the world, uses to explain to their children what women do when they go out to transform the world.

'Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI', by Yuval Noah Harari (Debate, 2024)

If science is for everyone, will it be for humans and non-humans alike?

In this piece, Harari looks at humanity from the past to try to draw a possible future. With the wings of science fiction imagination, but the roots of current research, Harari analyzes how information networks have built our world. We find ourselves staring into the abyss, facing a great existential crisis. The world is experiencing a series of emergencies—imminent urgencies and dangers, as well as possibilities for future events—in areas such as ecology, information, and technology, and we are hurtling towards the era of artificial intelligence, without knowing if this will be the beginning or the end.

'The Day After Yesterday', by Xavier Duran (L'Albí, 2024)

And if we take science to its frontiers, and humanize it, and make it imagine futures and tell us stories, shouldn't we end up with a good science novel?

This novel has all the ingredients for a joyful exploration of knowledge: human relationships, love, heartbreak, intrigue, leaps in time, technological advances, a wealthy editor and his wife—secondary characters—will accompany us on this accelerated journey of progress and change. On Sant Jordi, culture moves and takes to the streets. The joy, leisure, and beach of summer, and the seclusion and fireplace of autumn are excellent settings for reading.