Rocío Vidal delivers inaugural lecture at UPV Gandia

The science journalist discusses the challenges of critical thinking in the digital age and artificial intelligence.

Generic image of a university courtyard with Mediterranean architecture and orange trees.
AI

Generic image of a university courtyard with Mediterranean architecture and orange trees.

Science journalist and communicator Rocío Vidal, known as 'La gata de Schrödinger', delivered the inaugural lecture for the 2026-2027 academic year at the Gandia campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), titled “Pensar en un mundo de ruido” (Thinking in a World of Noise).

In her talk, Vidal addressed the challenges of the digital society, reflecting on how overinformation, disinformation, and immediacy condition our way of informing ourselves, understanding reality, and relating to each other. “We are moving towards a uniformity of content where talent, the essence, is increasingly important,” the communicator noted.
Fake news and artificial intelligence were central themes of the lecture, highlighting the growing difficulty in distinguishing reliable information from misleading content, as well as the effects of overstimulation on concentration and critical thinking.
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"Pseudothinkers are given a platform without anyone questioning them, and many young people are very lost."

Rocío Vidal · Journalist and science communicator
Faced with a scenario where artificial intelligence can generate realistic-looking content and make manipulation detection difficult, the journalist advocated for the need to develop tools and criteria for evaluating information. “We shouldn't fear what's coming, but rather see the opportunities,” she stated.
Rocío Vidal championed the value of science, art, and knowledge, as well as the importance of setting aside time for reading, handwriting, and reflection. Through her lecture, she invited the university community to question the content they receive and to preserve critical thinking in a society marked by constant connection and reaction.
Based on information from the official source: UPV — Campus de Gandia (Escola Politècnica Superior de Gandia) (23/10/2026)