You open your eyes one summer morning and discover several bites on your skin. Days later, you have a high temperature, feelings of nausea and your joints are incredibly painful. At the doctor’s, you receive a disturbing diagnosis: dengue fever. “But isn’t that an exotic disease?” you wonder. The answer is obvious: not anymore.

Although it may sound like the beginning of a dystopian novel, this could actually happen where you live. In Spain, for instance, there have been reports of some indigenous cases of tropical diseases that, until recently, had never set foot on European soil. However, what’s most worrying is that these aren’t isolated incidents but signs of a far-reaching change. 

Create, observe, think, correct, rethink… Would you say that these steps form part of the work of an artist, or of scientific research?

Of course, it’s difficult to choose without more context. But if we add paintbrushes and statues to the scene, or alternatively pipettes and microscopes, the answer becomes glaringly obvious. So could we say that, essentially, art and science are more alike than we might have thought?

In this latest CaixaResearch Snapshot we’re joined by David Sancho, a researcher from our network at the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), and Guillermo Mora, a visual artist and ”la Caixa” Foundation fellow.

Okinawa, Japan. Sardinia, Italy. Nicoya, Costa Rica. Three points on the map that are far from each other but which, nevertheless, have a surprising feature in common: the life expectancy of their inhabitants is very high, over 100 years.

These are three of the so-called Blue Zones: places where people not only live longer but in better health. So what’s their secret? 

Beyond diet or physical activity, researchers agree on one key factor they all share: their inhabitants live in environments that favour relaxation and social relationships and promote a strong sense of purpose in life, as well as experiencing low levels of stress. 

And this is no minor detail.

“Even when we dispose of it in the right bin, much of the plastic produced in the world ends up in landfill and less than 10% is recycled. With the action of the sun, wind and waves it fragments, releasing microplastics into the environment“, explains Emma Calikanzaros, a researcher in environmental epidemiology and microplastics.

These tiny bits of plastic, which are also released from textiles and cosmetics, travel through rivers, seas and air to reach remote areas of the planet. Studying them is not easy, as they are particles ranging from 0.1 to 5 millimeters, very diverse in shape, size, and composition. “Globally standardised methods to measure their concentration are still lacking but need to be developed.

You’re at a museum. You pass by dozens of paintings until one, you don’t quite know why, catches your attention. It’s not just what you see; it’s what it makes you feel.

Now imagine another scene. A laboratory and, under the microscope, an image. Cells stained with impossible colours, shapes that look like abstract landscapes. You’re not in the Prado but something in that image fascinates you. An image that, moreover, may be the key to a new scientific discovery.

While a researcher creates knowledge, an artist arouses emotions. But the boundaries aren’t always so clear.

Today we talk to Eloísa Herrera,