August is Science and Technology Month

SCIENCE-related activities are being held throughout the month to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT).The celebration began Monday when national scientists honored Walter Fernández, president of the National Academy of Science, for his contributions to science and technology in Costa Rica. The Ministry has various science fairs, workshops and presentations planned, including:• Conference on Albert Einstein and quantum mechanics, August 17, 4 p.m. at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) School of Physics auditorium, in San Pedro, east of San José.• Presentation on science and technology to increase competitiveness, Aug. 18, 9 a.m., at CENAT, 1.3 km north of the U.S. Embassy in Pavas, in western San José.• Workshop on intellectual property rights as an instrument for scientific development, led by a former negotiator of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), Aug. 24, 10 a.m., National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT), in Zapote, southeast of San José.• Workshop on physics and music with Brazilian musical group UAKTI, Aug. 27, 10:30 a.m., National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), Heredia, north of San José.• Concert by UAKTI, synthesizing world music, jazz, tonalism, atonalism, new age, MPB, ecological music and random flow, performed on instruments created by the group, Aug. 30, 8 p.m., National Theater.