EL DESIERTO DE ATACAMA COMO LABORATORIO: EXPERIMENTOS Y TECNOLOGÍAS DE LA ENERGÍA SOLAR (1872-1981)

Abstract

The idea of a geographic space as a laboratory territory as a laboratory has been recently proposed and treated extensively. This openness in the conceptual imaginary allows exploring new meanings to places usually restricted to the condition of exploitation or extraction of resources. In a divergent sense, the case of the Atacama Desert is analyzed here as a territorial space of experimentation for the evolution of technology. A cross-border approach favors the accumulation of information provided by scientists, engineers and inventors of solar energy technologies. An interim assembly of micro-histories favors a re-reading and evaluation of the state of development of science and technology at the local, national and western world levels. In conclusion, microhistories of solar energy technologies in the Atacama Desert from 1872 to 1981 remain in oblivion due to their discard and intermittent duration and to the fragmentation of their memories that makes it dificult to understand their contribution to the evolution processes of technology and the sustainability problem. The constitution of an emblematic memory around the contribution of the solar radiation and the pioneering experiences that developed in Atacama give account of the relevance of the cultural factors for the effectiveness of the so-called technical solutions.