Ciência Viva – National Agency for the Science and Technology Awareness

As in previous years Ciência Viva (CV) collaborated with the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN) to promote BAW in Portugal. Ciência Viva provided an online platform for the management of open laboratory activities and neuroscientist sessions in schools, in close coordination with the SPN. Ciência Viva had as well created a web page dedicated to Brain Week to disseminate the activities carried out throughout the country including those organized by other entities beyond SPN and CV partners. The Pavilion of Knowledge – Ciência Viva Science Centre had during this week a program dedicated to the topic of neurosciences. In the exhibitions area there was some experiences and to challenge visitors, like optical illusions, testing the memory, how we react to the unknown or how brain helps us to understand the world around us through our five senses. We also organized a debate on neuroscience, memory and fiction with the researchers Ewa Miendlarzewska (University of Geneva) and Ana Raposo (University of Lisbon). Are memories simply recorded and stored in our brain or are they a continuous process influenced by our life experience? What is involved in their formation, consolidation or recovery? Ewa and Ana talked with the audience about these and other issues related to memory, based on the science fiction book Mirador de la Memoria by Ewa Miendlarzewska.

It is important to strengthen collaboration with neuroscience research institutions and to meet the expectations of the public and the schools who have become accustomed to BAW activities over the years.