Enrique Solano: "The Catholic scientist knows the beginning and the end of the film".Stephen BarrThe thesis of the conflict between science and faith is a myth generated by the polemics of the end of the 19th century".Catholic scientists: Francisco Javier Balmis, promoter of smallpox vaccineLaura Iglesias Romero, who died on April 15, 2022, was a Doctor of Science and research professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
Much of his career was spent at the Instituto de Óptica "Daza de Valdés", today known as Miguel Catalán, in honor of the illustrious Silver Age chemist Miguel Catalán Sañudo, who was his mentor.
She also held the position of assistant professor of Atomic-Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy at the Complutense University of Madrid.
In 1956, he applied for a CSIC scholarship to study at Princeton University, in the state of New Jersey (USA), where he worked as a research assistant with Professor Allen Shenstone, then Dean of the School of Physics. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked at the National Bureau of Standards during the 1960s.
Despite receiving several offers, he decided to return to Spain and rejoined the CSIC. At the Instituto de Óptica Daza de Valdés, he focused on obtaining and observing spectra of transition elements relevant to astrophysics, contributing to the understanding of stellar motion and other heavy components in the periodic system. His data were very useful for the identification of stellar spectra in the context of the development of astrophysics.
In addition to her scientific work, she taught Optical Systems Calculation, becoming an expert on the subject. She even designed a periscope, which earned her the position of Head of the Projects Section of the Laboratory and Research Workshop of the Navy's General Staff. She also completed a postdoctoral stay at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
As for his faith, he received the catechesis of the Neocatechumenal Way from Kiko Argüello in San Antonio de la Florida (Madrid) and completed his formation in the parish of Santiago (Madrid). When asked about the compatibility between science and faith, he did not hesitate to affirm that they are not only compatible, but complementary.
Public University of Navarra.
Society of Catholic Scientists of Spain
