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Do pre-service teachers have the same beliefs in superstitions and pseudoscience as the members of their generation? We expect so, because they are slightly different in at least two of the variables that explain differences, namely family income and level of studies, and also, normatively, because beliefs among teaching staff appear to be a key matter in the scientific literacy of citizens. Research reported in this paper compared data from the general public of the same age to our sample of 578 pre-service teachers from five Spanish universities, using the same questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis is then used to study the factors that affect defence of such beliefs and the differences between pre-service teachers and their age group. We have found that, on the contrary to what was expected, beliefs among pre-service teachers are not far from those of their age group in the population at large. Within that relatively homogenous group, a favourable attitude toward pseudoscience and superstition mainly depends on their educational level and basic knowledge of science, but that knowledge probably depends on their spontaneous interest in scientific matters and a prior favourable attitude. These results have implications in training scientific teachers and in the scientific literacy of the population. Thus, we must consider such nonscientific beliefs when designing classroom proposals and when communicating scientific content in social contexts., CRUE-CSIC agreement, Springer Nature, Spanish Government RTI2018-094303-A-I00, State R&D&I Program Oriented, State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation

α-Fe2O3 thin films have been deposited on Si(111) substrates at high temperatures (600–800 °C) by the spray pyrolysis method. Four different iron(III) β-diketonates have been used as precursors in order to obtain polycrystalline films of good adherence, which have been characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements.

Titanium (iv) oxide (amorphous, brookite, anatase, and rutile) fine particles have been synthesized by pyrolysis of an aerosol. As-received materials are constituted by hollow balloons of around 1–2 μm formed by very small crystalline nuclei, whose crystal size can be modified by annealing. By heating at 900 °C for 48 h individual crystals of around 1 μm are obtained. Intermediate sizes can be controlled as a function of the thermal treatment.