Carlos
Zapata-Carratalá
Early Life
I was born and raised in Alicante, in the south-eastern coast of Spain, supported by my loving parents Ana and Paco and together with my youger sisters and close friends. I grew next to the sea, with early interests in dinosaurs, astrophysics and cinema. Some franchises that greatly influenced me artistically during my formative years were: Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Warhammer and Pokémon. At the age of 12 my father, a hydraulics engineer by training, introduced me to physics in an attempt to appease my persistent inquisitive atitude. This first contact with science and mathematics instilled a firm passion for the rational understanding of the world, broadly understood, into my young mind. During the remaining years of pre-university education I became determined to pursue a career in theoretical physics and mathematical sciences.
Education
After completing primary and secodary school at Inmaculada Jesuitas Alicante I enrolled in the Degree in Physics at the University of Valencia although it was clear to me that my interests lied somewhere between physics and pure mathematics. Fighting the rigidity of the Spanish university system, I managed to get my first formal training in mathematics at Imperial College London during an Erasmus visit. When I finished my degree I was fortunate to receive the prestigious La Caixa scholarship which funded the Part III masters programme at the University of Cambridge. It was there where my formal training in differential geometry and advanced topics of mathematical physics took place. Alongside my mathematical studies in Cambridge, taking advantage of the vibrant early music scene there, I had my first lessons on the harpsichord and baroque music. This first contact will prove the begining of a long and dedicated process of musical training in an attempt to compensate for the lack of instruction during my childhood. I completed my mathematical education with a PhD programme in the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of José Figueroa-O'Farrill.
From my early years of passionate self-study to this day, my personal drive has always been to deeply understand the abstract frameworks in which natural sciences operate. A fascination for modern physics first led me to the study of differential geometry and algebra. I have worked on the mathematical foundations of classical and quantum mechanics, metrology, and their interplay with thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. I consider this research to be my first entry to frontier science but my interests are not limited to formal aspects of mathematical physics. Foundational questions in biology or cognitive science have always fascinated me. In recent years I have expanded my research activity to topics of complexity science and the phenomenon of emergence where I aim to export the rigorous analytical thinking of mathematics and physics to much broader scientific enquiries.
I have always felt compelled to share knowledge and appreciation of subjects I find interesting with others, from my improvised playground classes on dinosaur taxonomy in primary school to my recent career as a university lecturer. I firmly believe that communication, education and community are fundamental to the healthy progress of science and mathematics. Perhaps this is most clearly reflected in my dedication to the SEMF association as a founder, president and main manager of colloquia and conferences.