From 23 to 27 September, the European Researchers’ Night returns. Promoted by the European Union, the initiative brings scientific research out of the laboratory and into the squares, museums and universities of towns and cities across Italy and Europe each year.
As usual, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) will take part in the event with a wide-ranging programme of activities organised by its divisions and National Laboratories, in collaboration with universities, research institutions and local authorities.
From north to south and across the islands, INFN’s activities will include laboratory visits, meetings with researchers, experiments, games and many other experiences suitable for people of all ages, inviting the public to discover physics and scientific research, from particle physics to the great questions of the universe.
L’Aquila
In L’Aquila, the night will take place as part of SHARPER, a project associated with the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions initiative. The event, which will offer activities for both schools and the general public, is organised by INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories in collaboration with the Municipality of L’Aquila, the Abruzzo Region, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), INAF’s Abruzzo Astronomical Observatory, the biopharmaceutical company Dompé, MAXXI L’Aquila and the Scienza Gran Sasso Association, with the patronage of the Regional Council of Abruzzo.
Throughout the day, there will be talks, workshops, exhibitions and opportunities to engage with researchers and explore scientific research. The Gran Sasso National Laboratories will present not only their physics research activities, but also the techniques and technologies that make them possible, showing how scientific knowledge can be translated into innovation and technology transfer.
For more information: SHARPER – L’Aquila
Avezzano
In Avezzano, as part of ERNEST, the programme will focus on particle physics and research through interactive activities and experiences for all ages.
Among the activities on offer will be HEPscape!, a science escape room inspired by research at CERN and the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. Through puzzles, clues and team challenges, participants will be able to enter the world of high-energy physics. The programme will also include other hands-on activities and scientific demonstrations. Younger children will be able to take part in INFN Kids activities, with games and experiments focusing on electricity, light and particles.
For more information: ERNEST – Avezzano
Bari
In Bari, as part of ERNEST, INFN will offer HEPscape! at BaLab, the Student Multifunctional Centre of the University of Bari Aldo Moro. The escape room will take participants into a story inspired by high-energy physics and research at CERN, challenging them to solve puzzles, interpret data and work together as a team. In Piazza Umberto, meanwhile, INFN researchers will bring experiments from the LHC (ALICE, LHCb), gamma-ray astronomy, equipment for detecting elementary particles and much more to the public. INFN Kids activities will also be available for younger children.
For more information: ERNEST, ERN – Bari
Bologna
In Bologna, as part of SOCIETY, the National Research Council (CNR) research area will host a programme covering several areas of contemporary physics. INFN will offer experiences dedicated to particle and astroparticle physics, from cosmic rays observed using a cloud chamber to neutrinos detected deep beneath the Mediterranean, and gravitational waves studied today with Virgo and in the future with Einstein Telescope. There will also be activities on electromagnetism and physics in everyday life, sessions exploring applications of physics in medicine, such as hadron therapy, and activities dedicated to artificial intelligence. Visitors will also be able to explore CERN’s CMS experiment through virtual reality and investigate the laws of physics using Galileo machines.
For more information: SOCIETY – Bologna
Cagliari
In Cagliari, as part of SHARPER, activities will include “Building the Universe”, featuring the board games “The First 20 Minutes” and “Neutrino Arena”, developed by the INFN Game project. Participants will then explore primordial plasma and antimatter through the ALICE and LHCb experiments, as well as the mysteries of the Universe, from the search for dark matter with DarkSide at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories — to whose construction the ARIA project in Sardinia also contributes — to the search for gravitational waves with Einstein Telescope.
For more information: SHARPER – Cagliari
Caserta
In Caserta, as part of S.T.R.E.E.T.S, INFN will introduce the public to the TANDEM accelerator at the CIRCE centre. A small accelerator demonstrator will provide an opportunity to learn how this technology works and about the research carried out there, ranging from nuclear physics and astrophysics to applications in materials science, biology and aerospace. Projects presented will include ERNA, NEPTUNE and AMS, as well as activities dedicated to the study of heavy elements and materials analysis.
For more information: S.T.R.E.E.T.S – Caserta
Catania
In Catania, as part of SHARPER, young researchers from INFN National Laboratories of the South will take centre stage in “Minitalk”, a series of short presentations introducing the public to research topics and results. Visitors will also be able to discover the role of nuclear physics in the energy transition, from the reactions that power the Sun and the stars to research activities at the Southern National Laboratories, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. For younger children, INFN Kids will offer activities in Piazza dell’Università inspired by the Leo & Alice comics, with games about particles and the opportunity to colour them and learn more about them.
For more information: SHARPER – Catania
Ferrara
In Ferrara, as part of SOCIETY, the night will offer the public a chance to discover science through hands-on experiences. Activities will include HoPE – Hands on Physics Experience!, a project developed through collaboration between Liceo A. Roiti, the MIT Edgerton Center and the INFN Ferrara division. In the project, school and university students, guided by tutors from secondary schools and universities, design and build interactive scientific prototypes. In the courtyard of the Castello Estense, INFN Kids will also present “La notte KIDS – Dove la scienza si mette in gioco”, with activities designed to introduce younger children to research through play.
For more information: SOCIETY, INFN Kids – Ferrara
Florence
In Florence, as part of Bright-Night, INFN will contribute to a programme bringing together research, light, art and new frontiers in physics.
The programme will explore light and its applications in energy production, medical diagnostics, advanced microscopy and the study of works of art. A scientific trail will also take visitors on a journey through Galileo, Brunelleschi, cosmic rays and nuclear techniques for cultural heritage.
In Piazza SS. Annunziata, with “Pursuing New Frontiers of Nature”, researchers will introduce the public to the activities of INFN, its laboratories and research carried out in the region. The programme will conclude with “Creatura”. The Breath of the Universe, an immersive performance exploring the relationship between science and the Universe.
For more information: Bright-Night – Firenze
Genoa
In Genoa, as part of SHARPER, workshops and seminars will explore cosmic rays, spacetime and gravitational waves, with the opportunity to see the ASTROKING telescope in operation. The telescope can measure the flux of secondary particles and identify their type. Visitors will also be able to discover the DIANA project, which brings together physics and recycling, and AggiornaMenti, which explores how a classroom can be transformed into a laboratory for discovering science in everyday life.
For more information: SHARPER – Genova
Lecce
In Lecce, as part of ERN_Apulia MED, activities will include “Particles in the Mist”, where visitors can observe the tracks left by particles, and “Particle Detectors: Observers of Physics”, exploring how the instruments used to study fundamental phenomena work, as well as a virtual tour of the ATLAS experiment at CERN. The programme will also include “Built it, learn it, share it: science comes to life with HoPE”, focusing on building and sharing scientific experiences through hands-on activities.
For more information: ERN Apulia MED – Lecce
Milan
In Milan, as part of the Open Night at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, the INFN division will offer activities focusing on environmental radioactivity and particle physics. Visitors will be able to learn about the activities of the RadioLab and ISOradioLab projects and take part in Guess the Radionuclide, a game developed as part of the PLAY activities. The evening will also include guided tours of the Extreme exhibition and interactive workshops focusing on the particles that surround us.
For more information: Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology – Milan
Naples
In Naples, as part of S.T.R.E.E.T.S, visitors in Piazza Dante will be able to explore the Universe through virtual reality with CTA+, observe muons produced by cosmic rays using the OCRA telescope and discover how gravitational waves make it possible to study the curvature of spacetime and some of the most extreme phenomena in the cosmos. Younger visitors will be welcomed by INFN Kids, which will offer games and quizzes about planets and the mysteries of space, including an activity to build a model of the Solar System.
For more information: S.T.R.E.E.T.S – Naples
Padua
In Padua, as part of Science4All, there will be HEPscape! escape rooms, together with experiences such as “Journey to the Origin of the Universe”, “Asteroid Alert” and “Stranger Physics”. Science cafés will explore topics including the invisible Universe, neutrinos and black holes, as well as the close approach of the asteroid Apophis to Earth in 2029. There will be a series of stands offering interactive activities covering different areas of physics, while INFN Kids will introduce children to atoms, galaxies and the Universe. Visitors will also be able to visit the Poleni Museum and learn about the history of women researchers through the exhibition “Women Scientists. Scattered Notes of Female Genius”.
For more information: Science4All – Padova
Perugia
In Perugia, as part of SHARPER, visitors will be able to try out board games developed by the INFN Game project and discover, through hands-on activities, how it is possible to observe particles arriving from space.
For more information: SHARPER – Perugia
Pisa
In Pisa, as part of ERNEST, participants will have to work together to solve puzzles and escape from the HEPscape! escape room, discovering in the process how physicists study the fundamental constituents of matter.
For more information: ERNEST – Pisa
Pavia
In Pavia, the courtyards of the University’s central campus will host numerous stands organised by the University of Pavia together with the INFN division, showcasing different areas of research. INFN will also present the science escape room “PER me si va ne la fisica recente”, developed as part of the European ERNEST project, which will take participants on a journey through physics using puzzles and challenges.
For more information:INFN Pavia division, ERNEST – Pavia
Rovigo
In Rovigo, as part of Science4All, CENSER will host the activity “EGO, Rovigo and LEGO: Mirrors for Detecting Gravitational Waves”, dedicated to how interferometers work and the search for gravitational waves. Through an experience combining science and construction, visitors will be able to discover how extremely sensitive instruments make it possible to detect some of the faintest signals coming from the Universe.
For more information: Science4All – Rovigo
Rome and Frascati
In Rome, the Città dell’Altra Economia will host the NET Village, with the participation of the INFN divisions of Rome, in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Activities will include experiments and interactive tools exploring natural radioactivity, as well as a creative INFN Kids workshop dedicated to the invisible world of particles, featuring the characters Leo & Alice.
At INFN Frascati National Laboratories, meanwhile, the doors of DAFNE will be opened to the public, with guided tours and a route exploring the history and research of the Laboratories. There will also be “Stand Up Research!”, a scientific talent show in which researchers will present their research in just a few minutes, putting themselves to the test before a jury and the audience.
In Rome and Frascati, as part of NET – scieNcE Toghether, INFN will offer a programme giving visitors the opportunity to meet researchers and explore different areas of contemporary research through experiments, games, interactive activities and laboratory visits.
For more information: NET – scieNcE Togheter – Rome and Frascati
Terni
In Terni, as part of ERNEST, the Municipal Library will host the HEPscape! escape room. Inspired by experiments at CERN, it will challenge participants with puzzles and collaborative tasks as they discover how fundamental particles are studied.
For more information: ERNEST – Terni
Turin
In Turin, INFN will take part in two European initiatives. As part of UNIGHT, during the activity “Unveiling the Universe – Research Laboratories: May the Physics Be with You”, visitors will be able to explore some of the major themes of contemporary physics through experiments, games and questions: from gravitational waves to particles used in cancer treatment, from quark and gluon physics to climate research and the search for habitable planets. As part of ERNEST, meanwhile, activities will take place at the Castello del Valentino at the Polytechnic University of Turin. The programme, aimed at children and adults, will include escape rooms focusing on scientific topics, including astrophysics and medical physics, as well as seminars and exhibitions. The activities will be coordinated by the University of Turin in collaboration with INFN, INAF and the University of Eastern Piedmont.
For more information: UNIGHT, ERNEST – Turin
Trieste
In Trieste, as part of SHARPER and Trieste Next, INFN will be present at the INFN-INAF stand “The Physics of the Universe”, where visitors will be able to take part in science games focusing on particle physics and the history of the Universe. Activities will include The First 20 Minutes, a board game in which players build their own universe starting from the Big Bang; Higgs Boson Goose Chase, inspired by the traditional Game of the Goose and dedicated to discovering the Higgs boson; and Quantum Taboo, a word-based challenge in which participants explain quantum physics without using certain forbidden terms. As part of the Street Science programme, Fabrizio Diaz Guerra of INFN Trieste will also present “Gravitational Waves: The Sound of Space”, a short talk dedicated to one of the major themes of contemporary research.
For more information: SHARPER, Street Science – Trieste
INFN’s programme therefore offers a wide range of activities inviting the public to discover the major themes of contemporary physics. A nationwide event bringing researchers and the public together, and offering an opportunity to discover what lies behind every major piece of knowledge and every scientific discovery.
