Prisma - Scientific Journal of the Liceu Normal Pedro Nunes (1965-66)
Pedro Ferraz de Abreu
One of the theories I often hear is that on the left (or in the progressive milieu in general) are basically those in humanities and social sciences (sociology, politics, economics, law, etc.) while those in so-called "hard sciences" or engineering, tend to have technocratic or simply depoliticized thinking.
My political experience at the Faculty of Sciences during the Dictatorship makes me question generalizations of this type. But the fact is that I owe a lot to professors like Romulo de Carvalho, who helped to awaken my passion for nuclear physics and astrophysics since high school, and who supported me when I created the "Clube de Fisica" at Liceu Pedro Nunes, and the science student magazine "The Prism".
There is no doubt that left-wing political activity at that time was dominated by cultural and humanist initiatives. The initiative to publish Prisma, by young, 14 & 15-year-old students, arises precisely in reaction to the vacuum of intervention in other spheres of science. In its editorial I wrote:
"It was the intention of a group of students from Liceu Pedro Nunes, when composing this magazine, to stimulate interest in science, namely mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, in addition to the (school) program". "These students thought that, despite the various attempts made in the 'secondary school' press (...) this matter was never given due importance." (...) "The broadening of the horizons on arts and literature is undoubtedly necessary; the stimulation of poetic spirits is undoubtedly positive; film reviews are undoubtedly interesting. But the high school student who chooses science, has, almost in its entirety, a saddening lack of knowledge of the subject and the topics that will be addressed in the future, besides what is provided by the official program" (...) "Isn't it time to take this into account?" (Prism n1, LN.P.N, 1966).
My first big lesson on how Science, outside of its tight control, frightens the Right, was the immediate banning of the magazine "Prisma" and the closing of the "Clube de Fisica" by the Rector of the Lyceum. Someone who didn't consider himself a fascist, despite behaving like a good lackey of the Dictatorship.
It should be noted that, in none of these spaces (The Club or 'Prisma'), a single word was said about politics or dictatorship. Classes at the Physics Club, with high school students as lecturers, were about Einstein's theory of relativity; and my articles in "Prisma" were about "The new definition of the meter", "Acido-Base" (Acid-Alkaline), my colleagues' articles were about "Computers and electronic brains" (Barroso), etc.
In fact, at this point I had no political thinking; just a vague, distant notion of the nature of the political regime. It was my indignation resulting from this ban, which I felt was absurd, that led me to approach activists and, shortly afterwards, to join a clandestine political organization. Thus, it can be said that it was the Dictatorship itself that was responsible for awakening me to the political struggle.
I owe a lot to teachers like Romulo de Carvalho, also a poet (Gedeão), humanist and anti-fascist, for the fact that, when I developed a political conscience, it was always articulated with the concern of deepening and promoting scientific knowledge; and the notion that obscurantism and the control of science are positions that are antagonistic to the values of the Left (or so they should be ...).