Known for bringing science closer to users in an easy-to-understand way, chosen by Forbes magazine as one of the most influential people in science communication in 2019 and holder of some of the most prestigious science communication awards in the country, Deborah García Bello has just published "La química de lo bello", a book in which she combines her scientific vision and her experiences to focus on everyday art and beauty.

Do we appreciate the chemistry that forms part of our daily lives? Do we perhaps lack scientific literacy?

There are people who have a feeling that allows them to appreciate the world within the world, especially that which is hidden in everyday beauty. Some of this beauty gains depth when this feeling is accompanied by knowledge. Scientific literacy provides a different prism through which beauty can be appreciated, but unfortunately, it is in short supply. According to data from surveys on scientific culture, there is a very strong lack of basic scienctific concepts in our country, which is why half the population admits that they don't understand scientific news. Scientific culture (or just culture) makes us more able to judge, more free and, most importantly, happier, because knowledge is the most sophisticated form of pleasure.

Is there a gap in communication between citizens, researchers and scientists?

This gap exists and it is something we have measured. Starting with the gap between the so-called "two cultures", the arts and the sciences, and ending with the problem of scientific ignorance that is taken to be normal - it is unforgivable that someone does not know that Rosalía de Castro wrote "Follas Novas", but we excuse the fact that most of the population does not know what the number pi is, or that someone considers that learning how square roots work is a waste of time. There is a lack of knowledge on scientific concepts, but there is also a lack of knowledge on the part of the public about how science works, the way we scientists seek certainties. That is why the figure of the science promoter is so important, because we are professionals in this field, who know how to bring science down from its ivory tower and bring it closer to everyone. I think that this is not a task that we should demand of every scientist and researcher, since not everyone wants to, knows how to, or is able to publicise their work. It is essential to know a lot about a subject in order to promote it well, but knowing a lot about a subject does not necessarily make you a good promoter.

Do social networks help or hinder in this task?

Social networks are very useful for scientific promoters and serve to spread the word about science, which some use for leisure and others for learning. Both are good reasons. However, as there are fewer filters than in conventional media, it is true that a hoax is more likely to thrive. That is why it is so important to have a good knowledge base to know how to distinguish between what information is true and what is not. And if the subject goes beyond our knowledge, the good thing about social networks is that they give us access to people who have the authority to speak authoritatively on these matters and help us to detect where the certainties lie.

As a Galician, and as a female scientist, how would you encourage girls and young women to focus their future on STEM disciplines?

Girls are already into science. Careers such as chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine, biotechnology, nursing, etc. are full of girls. Women are in the majority when it comes to studying STEM subjects, the figures are there, they are the ones who get the best grades, they are the ones who do the most PhDs.

Furthermore, I think it is sexist to suggest that girls don't know how to choose their studies, that they should be guided. As soon as a career has a majority of men, it seems that it becomes the best career in the world, the one with the best future, the one that young women should choose. We cannot let career paths and jobs be something to be validated by men. Computer science used to be a woman's thing, the first programmers were women, but they were undervalued. 

If there is a problem to look at in STEM careers it is the same as in any other profession and it comes in adulthood. Women are disappearing from research careers, from leadership positions.... The problem is there, so we should put the focus there, on solving adult problems as adults, and let girls do their thing. 

How do you assess the Xunta's commitment to research talent via the Oportunius programme?

I think the Xunta is doing an excellent job promoting the Oportunius programme. Thanks to this programme, we have more scientists who are able to do research with favourable economic and working conditions and with the stability that people who prove to be good professionals in their field deserve.

This is a win-win situation: it attracts talent to Galicia and we can guarantee that the science we do here will continue to be first-rate science. To bet on science is to bet on the long term, with expectations placed where they should be, on progress and wellbeing.

For Galicia's Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), a priority is to focus innovation on tackling the challenges facing society. What is the role of R&D&I in generating wealth and wellbeing within a region?

In Galicia we have natural and intellectual resources and, above all, a very solid knowledge base because it is part of our tradition. In Galicia we are leaders in material science, in areas ranging from coolants to circular materials, in artificial intelligence applied to the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, in genomics, etc. When you combine identity and transversality in research and development (mixing design with art, chemistry, biology, architecture...), you get innovation, which is the engine of the future.

Innovation is the transformation of ideas into wealth. In this context, wealth means health, wellbeing, progress, future, etc. This is because innovation means meeting the needs of the future.

It is important for everyone to be aware of the applications of science and technology to meet the challenges we already face. Putting the brakes on innovation would leave us without tools or opportunities. However, science, as well as offering solutions, provides us with something very important: sensible optimism.