The book “The Scientists: 50 women who changed the world”, by North American writer and illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky, is the winner of the first edition of the Asimov-Brazil Prize, held this Wednesday (16). The work published in Brazil by Editora Blucher was chosen by the majority of high school students registered for the award, which took place on virtual way and was carried out by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IdEA) at Unicamp.
The 14 students who had their reviews chosen by the award's Scientific Committee, formed by 50 professionals education, communication and scientific dissemination. The 132 registered students, from 15 schools, sent 86 reviews for evaluation, receiving grades from one to ten, considering textual clarity, reader engagement and originality. The commission produced more than 400 evaluations to arrive at the best texts.
Ignotofsky, who sent a video thanking him for the distinction, will receive from the organization a work by visual artist Lygia Eluf, a retired professor from the Unicamp Arts Institute. Part of the series called “Rio das Almas, Cavalcante, GO”, the drawing in dry pastel on paper is 50 cm by 50 cm and will be sent to the author in the United States. The winning students will receive digital reproductions of the work printed on paper with mineral pigments.
Also competing were: “The Drunkard’s Walk: How chance determines our lives”, by Leonard Mlodinow (Editora Zahar); “The Human Advantage: how our brain became super powerful”, by Suzana Herculano-Houzel (Companhia das Letras); “Physics in 12 easy and not so easy lessons”, by Richard P. Feynman (Editora Nova Fronteira); and “1499: Brazil before Cabral”, by Reinaldo José Lopes (HarperCollins Publisher).
Inspired by the award of the same name created in Italy, the 2020 Asimov-Brazil Award included in this pilot edition seven private and eight public schools from three Brazilian states, in the cities of Atibaia (SP), Campinas (SP), Hortolândia (SP), Jundiaí ( SP), Limeira (SP), Petrolina (PE), Quedas do Iguaçu (PR) and Valinhos (SP). Physicist Anderson Fauth, coordinator of the Asimov-Brazil Prize and deputy coordinator of IdEA, presented the project and provided an overview of the activities developed.
Italian physicist Francesco Vissani, creator of the original initiative and resident scientist at IdEA in 2019, sent a video congratulating the Brazilian initiative. From Italy, the researcher recalled that Isaac Asimov wrote books about science and science fiction, creating characters who inhabited distant planets. These imaginary beings, however, also faced problems in their existence, as in the real world, but they placed trust in science and in the ability of individuals to seek improvement through reasoning and the scientific method, Vissani highlighted. “It's the same attitude as the French philosopher Auguste Comte [1798-1857], who wrote these beautiful words: 'love as a principle, order as a foundation and progress as an end'.”
The opening table of the ceremony was attended by the rector of Unicamp, Marcelo Knobel, the poet and linguist Carlos Vogt, president of the Scientific and Cultural Council of IdEA, the literary critic Alcir Pécora, coordinator of IdEA, and professor Sônia Soares, from the Professor José Leme do Prado State School, in Valinhos. “It is a joy for Unicamp to be able to be part of this process”, stated Knobel, highlighting the importance of valuing science at the current time when Brazil is suffering from the effects of a pandemic.
Student Nicole Nikaya, a former student at EE Professor José Leme do Prado, prepared a presentation video for this edition of the Asimov-Brazil Prize, which was shown during the ceremony. The event also featured the screening of a recording with testimonials from the students involved commenting on their experiences of reading, evaluating and writing the review.
The award-winning students are: Aline Bergamin (EE José Maria Matosinho/Campinas), Caroline Lucas dos Santos (EE José Maria Matosinho/Campinas), Francisco do Rego (Colégio Cristão de Jundiaí), Júlia Ramírez Vidoto (Colégio Olímpico/Campinas), Larissa Lemos Simões Pires (College Christiano de Jundiaí), Letícia Dal'Evedove Soares (Colégio Ápice Eleva/Jundiaí), Maria Eduarda Godinho Carvalho (COTUCA/Campinas), Mariana Torezan Silingardi Rigoletto (Colégio Imaculada/Campinas), Paulo Henrique Francisco Felipe (COTUCA /Campinas), Pedro Roberto Pereira (Colégio Cristão de Jundiaí), Rafaella Adorno Bastos Ferraz (COTIL/Limeira), Renan Andrade Dantas (Colégio Olímpico/Campinas), Rita Aparecida Valentim (COTIL/Limeira) and Silvana Oliveira Carvalho (EE José Maria Matosinho/Campinas).
“A world discovered by women” was the title of the winning review by student Letícia Soares, from Colégio Ápice Eleva. In her acknowledgments, the student from Jundiaí commented on the motivational importance of reading “As Cientistas”, which went beyond discussions about science or female protagonism. “Especially in the context of this year, with Covid-19, this book taught me a lot about not giving up on my dreams.”
Caroline dos Santos, from EE José Maria Matosinho and author of the award-winning review “How did the human brain acquire remarkable cognitive capabilities?”, thanked the support of the teachers who encouraged her to participate and praised the Asimov-Brazil Prize for bringing together books from varied disciplines such as way to stimulate student interest. Paulo Henrique Felipe, a COTUCA student, classified the experience as “incredible” and “very enriching”. He produced the essay “Physics in 12 easy and not so easy, but certainly very interesting lessons”, about Richard Feynman's book.
The first Brazilian edition of the Asimov-Brazil Prize was organized in partnership between IdEA and the Laboratory for Advanced Studies in Journalism (Labjor) at Unicamp, the Colégio Técnico de Campinas (Cotuca) and the Colégio Técnico de Limeira (Cotil).
The award honors the writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), one of the most prolific authors of the 1950th century, who achieved recognition and success in the publishing market in the 500s when he began publishing the science fiction series “Fundação”. He was the author of around XNUMX books and hundreds of short stories in different genres, such as science fiction and suspense novels, scientific popularization for young people and adults, literary criticism and essays on religion and humor.
More information about Asimov-Brazil Prize can be obtained on the website.
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