110 histórias, 110 objetos (110 anos do Técnico)

It was transported to Lisbon in the late 1980s and adapted to help create a “new chapter in the history of nuclear fusion engineering and physics in Portugal”. Silence, vacuum and heat: electrons colliding with ions and transferring energy to them, as if they were people running into each other in the street. The Técnico Tokamak, also called ISTTOK, is contributing to what is one of the great challenges facing experimental physics today: trying to create a safe source of energy by reproducing on earth the process that powers the stars. And, as if that weren’t enough, it is also sought after by students from all over the world for the unique possibilities it offers for experimental teaching.

The story of the Técnico Tokamak in the 11th episode of the podcast “110 Stories | 110 Objects”, which marks the 110th anniversary of the Instituto Superior Técnico.

Built by hand, piece by piece, in the mid-19th century, the Brito Limpo optical level was one of the most brilliant tools built in the field of cartography in Portugal. It proved fundamental to solving problems in the field of determining orthometric levels and was crucial for measuring the altitudes of various parts of the country. This revolutionary instrument earned the Portuguese military officer a distinction at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition, among other prizes. A copy of the six optical levels built by Brito Limpo is in the Técnico Civil Engineering Museum and its importance can be discovered in the 10th episode of the “110 Stories | 110 Objects” podcast.