José Mira Mira facts for kids
José Mira Mira was a smart Spanish scientist. He was born on December 31, 1944, and passed away on August 13, 2008. He was a Professor of Computational Sciences and Artificial Intelligence. He also led the Artificial Intelligence Department at the UNED university until he died.
Professor Mira was very interested in how to build smart computer systems. He also studied how the human brain works and how computers can learn from it. He helped create special computer programs for factories and hospitals. These programs were part of projects like DIAGEN and many others funded by CICYT and ESPRIT.
He helped about 30 students get their advanced degrees (Ph.D.s). He also wrote over 300 articles about his research. For more than 10 years, he helped organize big meetings called IWANN. Later, he worked to start new meetings called IWINAC. These meetings brought together people studying how natural intelligence (like brains) and artificial intelligence (like computers) can learn from each other.
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Early Life
José Mira Mira was born in Pinoso, a town in Alicante, Spain. This was on December 31, 1944. He finished his high school studies at the Hermanos Maristas school in Murcia, Spain.
Studies at Complutense University
In October 1966, he earned his physics degree from the Complutense University of Madrid. He then joined a special lab that studied how living things work like machines. This lab was part of the Spanish National Research Council.
His teacher, Professor José Garcia Santesmases, helped him with his Ph.D. work. José Mira Mira earned his Ph.D. in 1971. His research was about "Cybernetic Models of Learning," which means how computers can learn. He also worked closely with Professor Roberto Moreno-Díaz, who had studied at the MIT in the USA.
Professor in Granada
In 1975, José Mira Mira became a Professor of Electronics at the University of Granada. There, he helped his wife, Ana Delgado, with her Ph.D. work. Her research was about "Neurocybernetic Models of Brain Dynamics," which looked at how the brain works.
During this time, Professor Mira met the famous Spanish scientist Justo Gonzalo. They became close friends. From 1976 to 1978, Professor Mira also led the University College of Almeria. This college later became the University of Almeria.
Moving to Santiago de Compostela
In 1981, he became the head of the Electronics Department at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Within a few years, almost his entire team from the University of Granada joined him there.
In 1986, he led a big project in Spain for the ESPRIT program. This was a project for the (now) European Union. It was the first ESPRIT project led by a Spanish team.
After Professor Mira passed away, the university decided to publish a series of books in his honor. These books are called "Profesor José Mira" and are about Neuroscience and Computation. The first book in this series, published in 2010, was dedicated to his friend, Justo Gonzalo.
Work at UNED
Professor Mira started working at the UNED in 1989. He became the head of the Computational Science and Artificial Intelligence Department. First, this was in the Physics Faculty. Then, from 2002, it moved to the Computational Science Engineering's ETS faculty.
In October 2003, he gave an important speech to start the new school year. In July 2006, he gave another key speech at a conference celebrating 50 years of Artificial Intelligence. He also gave a talk called "Science and Engineering of Intelligence" at the same event. Professor Rodolfo Llinás from the New York University Medical Center also attended.
His Passing
José Mira Mira passed away on August 13, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. He had a sudden and serious illness.
The UNED held a special event to honor him on November 5, 2008. The president of UNED led the event. It was even shown live on the Spanish state-owned television channel "La 2".
See also
In Spanish: José Mira Mira para niños
