Physics in Cuba

Abstract

Think of science like art, says Aurora Perez Martinez. "It's an important part of culture, like opera, like ballet. " A theoretical physicist at the Institute of Cybernetics, Mathematics, and Physics (ICIMAF) in Havana, Perez is worried that nowadays science, in contrast to the arts, is not adequately valued in Cuba. "Authorities ask why we are working on something if it's not applied. They want neutrinos on a plate. But ballet doesnt need applications. " Cuba has tremendous human capital, she continues, "but the country is spoiling. People leave for better opportunities.".