On September 26, the twenty-third edition of the European Researchers’ Night returns, the initiative promoted by the European Union since 2005 that every year involves thousands of researchers and research institutions across Europe. In Italy, participating cities will come alive with events designed for young and old, teachers and students, offering the chance to discover research up close. The goal is to foster direct encounters between citizens and researchers, spreading scientific culture and showcasing the many professions in research within an informal and stimulating setting.
This year too, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics INFN, through its divisions and National Laboratories, will play a leading role with a rich programme of initiatives. Visitors will be able to take part in simple yet surprising experiments and discover cutting-edge technologies and innovations shaping our future. It will also be an opportunity to hear first-hand stories from those who live and breathe research every day.
Below is a summary of INFN’s activities, with links to the full programmes in the various cities:
L’Aquila
The city of L’Aquila will host the European Researchers’ Night with the SHARPER project, transforming itself into a vast open-air laboratory. The venues of Palazzo dell’Emiciclo, Piazza Duomo and Libreria Colacchi will host activities, experiments and meetings with researchers, bringing adults and children closer to the world of science and knowledge. The programme, curated by the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories, includes telescope observations of the Sun designed for schools and a small meteorite museum to explore the origins of the solar system. Visitors will be able to engage with the various services of the LNGS: the chemistry service will showcase technologies used to study traces and ultra-traces, essential for ensuring the purity of materials used in experiments; the mechanics service will display hi-tech components designed and produced in the laboratories, with live demonstrations of 3D printing; and finally, the computing and networking service will demonstrate the importance of collecting, storing and making scientific data accessible. The public will also be able to follow an engaging itinerary illustrating the everyday life of scientific research, both underground and above ground, spanning particle physics, gravitational waves, dark matter, rare decays and hypotheses on the origins of the universe. A space will be dedicated to younger children with a creative workshop designed to spark curiosity and imagination through games, drawings and constructions inspired by the world of particles. Finally, there will be the opportunity to visit the New Assergi Workshop (NOA), where silicon devices capable of operating at extreme temperatures are produced and used in the most advanced physics research.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-laquila/
Bari
The INFN Bari division participates in the event within the SHARPER project, serving as local coordinator of the organisation. This year’s edition is particularly rich, with more than one hundred initiatives for the public, organised in collaboration with the three local universities, the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, the Polytechnic University of Bari and the Libera Università Mediterranea Giuseppe Degennaro, as well as the CNR and major research institutes in the city. The event will take place on September 26 in Piazza Umberto I, the heart of city life, where from early afternoon until midnight, visitors can join games, shows, workshops and scientific demonstrations. During the event, INFN researchers will present studies conducted with major CERN experiments ALICE, CMS and LHCb, as well as gamma-ray astronomy from both space and ground-based telescopes, research on cosmic rays and environmental radioactivity, and the development of particle detectors and their applications in medicine and the environment. The activities are designed for audiences of all ages, with particular attention to younger participants, who will be able to explore research through games and interactive pathways, discovering the wonders of science with INFN Kids.
For more information: http://sharper-night.it/bari
Bologna and Ferrara
The INFN Bologna and Ferrara divisions take part in the European Researchers’ Night within the project SOCIETY-reAGIAMO, promoted by a consortium bringing together the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara, along with CNR, CINECA, INAF, INFN and INGV.
In Bologna, from 5.30 pm on September 26, researchers will be at the Area Territoriale della Ricerca with activities for all ages: observing cosmic particles using a cloud chamber, the plasma bottle “aurora simulator”, and a “physics of everyday life” stand featuring experiments with common materials. There will also be stands exploring INFN research topics, from medical applications of particle beams to neutrino hunting with underwater telescopes and the search for gravitational waves using underground detectors.
In Ferrara, the INFN division and the University of Ferrara will be present on September 26 from 6.00 pm to midnight with a stand in Piazza Castello. Here, researchers will guide the public through their work via exhibitions, interactive activities and live demonstrations. Topics will include astrophysics and cosmology, particle physics, medical physics and new technologies. In the courtyard of Castello Estense, there will also be activities for children, who can approach science through playful experiences thanks to the INFN Kids and HopE projects.
For more information: https://www.nottedeiricercatori-society.eu/
Cagliari
The INFN Cagliari division participates in the event as part of the SHARPER project, offering interactive workshops that will guide the public through the mysteries of the universe, from the depths of Sardinia’s underground with the ARIA/DarkSide experiments and Einstein Telescope. There will also be a stand dedicated to CERN experiments ALICE and LHCb, exploring themes of antimatter and the primordial plasma. A special area will be devoted to the medical applications of physics, showing how scientific research is already a valuable ally in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Presentations and talks will also focus on the Einstein Telescope, the future third-generation gravitational wave detector proposed to be built in Sardinia, and on how the universe can be studied through the investigation of the infinitely small, guided by INFN researchers.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-cagliari/
Catania and INFN National Laboratories of the South
The INFN Catania division and the INFN National Laboratories of the South will will celebrate the European Researchers’ Night by participating in the SHARPER project, led by the University of Catania. The initiative will enliven the entire city with over one hundred events and activities aimed at citizens of all ages. In the afternoon, from 4.30 pm to 8.00 pm, the HePscape Room will be set up at Città della Scienza, an experience designed to introduce children to the world of CERN and bring them into direct contact with particle physics through play and discovery. Starting at 8.00 pm, the activities will continue in the heart of the city with three stands dedicated to topics of great scientific relevance. The first will be dedicated to KM3NeT, the large underwater telescope for the study of neutrinos. A second stand will illustrate how frontier physics can offer innovative tools in the fight against cancer, while a third will highlight the applications of research to the protection, traceability, and promotion of typical Sicilian products with PDO and PGI labels. Finally, there will be activities dedicated to children, with the INFN Kids project stand.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-catania/
Florence and Pisa
The INFN Florence and Pisa divisions are participating in the Bright Night 2025 project, an initiative promoted by the University of Florence dedicated to research and scientific dissemination.
In Florence, in Piazza SS. Annunziata, from 3 pm to 11 pm, there will be a stand entitled “From the Higgs boson to Leonardo: INFN in Florence”, which offers a journey from the discovery of the Higgs boson to the mysteries of dark matter, passing through cosmic rays, radiopharmaceuticals, and carbon-14 dating techniques. The stand will illustrate the activities of INFN and LABEC, the Florentine laboratory that applies nuclear techniques to the study of cultural heritage and the environment.
Also on September 26, the city of Pisa will come alive with the talk “The Physics of Sound and Music” and the stand “Physics and Artificial Intelligence at the service of health”, dedicated to the Institute’s various lines of research, bringing science to the streets. At the same time, at the INFN Pisa division, it will be possible to take part in guided tours of the laboratories and try out the educational board games designed by INFN Game. The programme also includes, at 6 pm, the workshop “The fine line between science and morality: from Fermi’s discoveries in 1934 to their use in the atomic bomb”. The day will end with “aperINFN: physics is served”, an informal meeting in which researchers will share the most advanced results of their research through short talks.
EGO – European Gravitational Observatory, on the other hand, will participate in two important scientific outreach initiatives: Bright Night and PICO – PhysICs fOr all. For Bright Night, throughout the day on Friday, September 26, at Logge dei Banchi, in the heart of Pisa, adults and children can participate in workshops and interactive activities designed by EGO to bring everyone closer to science. At the same time, as part of the PICO – PhysICs fOr all project, the initiatives will kick off on Thursday, September 25, with a virtual tour of Virgo in English at 10.oo am, while at 9.00 pm there will be a conference-show entitled “La più Folle delle Imprese” (The Craziest of Undertakings) at Pieve dei Santi Ippolito e Cassiano in San Casciano: an evening of words and music dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the first detection of gravitational waves, a discovery that revolutionised astronomy. The programme will continue on Friday, September 26, with guided tours of the Virgo interferometer for middle and high schools, a workshop for physics students dedicated to techniques for distinguishing noise from gravitational wave signals, and a seminar at the Fibonacci Comprehensive Institute in Pisa, where EGO and Virgo researchers will share their personal and professional journeys as women in science.
For more information: https://www.bright-night.it/, https://www.ego-gw.it/home_page_ita/
Genoa
The INFN Genoa division participates in the SHARPER project with a programme packed with initiatives hosted in the Giardini Luzzati. On September 26, the public will have the opportunity to learn about the world of physics through workshops, interactive stands and activities designed to engage and intrigue visitors of all ages. During the day, it will be possible to discover science in everyday life thanks to the workshops of the Aggiornamenti project, participate in a programme aimed at schools to become “Physicists for a Day” and explore the fundamental constituents of the universe down to the heart of atoms. There will also be seminars and workshops dedicated to particle astrophysics, cosmic rays, the journey of gravitational waves and artificial intelligence with the Rossini project. Completing the programme is the board game “The First 20 Minutes”, which allows players to relive the very first moments of the universe, when the first subatomic particles were formed.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-genova/
Lecce
The INFN Lecce division will be among the protagonists of the European Researchers’ Night 2025, with a rich programme of activities at the former Olivetan Monastery (Lecce), organised in collaboration with the University of Salento and as part of the ERN_APULIA_MED project. The public will be able to explore more than ten themed stands offering scientific games and interactive activities dedicated to cosmic rays, environmental radioactivity and dark matter, exhibits and demonstrations on detectors used in particle physics and INFN research, virtual visits to the ATLAS experiment at CERN and educational tours designed for adults and children. High school students involved in CC3M-INFN research projects during the 2024/2025 school year will also take part in the initiatives, contributing to the creation and animation of the stands. Among the activities planned, there will also be a cosmic ray-themed escape room, inspired by research conducted at the Pierre Auger Observatory, organised by the “Quinto Ennio” high school in Gallipoli, and HOPE activities for the design and construction of scientific prototypes, organised by the “L. da Vinci” high school in Maglie.
For more information: https://www.ernapuliamed.org/en/city/lecce
Milan
The INFN Milan division will participate in the Open Night at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology, scheduled for Friday September 26 starting at 6 pm. Guided tours of the “eXtreme. In Search of Particles” exhibition will be offered for the occasion, together with researchers who have worked at CERN and the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories. Afterwards, visitors will be able to take part in activities dedicated to the discovery of radioactivity and cosmic rays, as well as a scientific speed date organised by the Museum.
In Milan, EGO will also be one of the protagonists of the evening, celebrating ten years since the first detection of gravitational waves with the conference-show “The Hidden Music of the Universe”, scheduled for 9.30 pm in the Museum Auditorium. This event combines science and storytelling to retrace the scientific and human adventure that led to one of the most extraordinary discoveries of our time.
For more information: https://www.museoscienza.org/it/offerta/open-night
Naples
The INFN Naples division and associated groups are participating in the European initiative as part of the S.T.R.E.E.T.S project, with various stands in Naples and Caserta.
In Naples, activities will take place in Piazza Municipio from 6 pm to 11 pm and will include workshops and initiatives related to the VIRGO experiment, the OCRA project with the telescope to detect cosmic muons, INFN Kids activities dedicated to children, and the Quantum project, which will present the history of information “Information is physics”, created in collaboration with the Scuola Superiore Meridionale. There will also be interactive workshops to discover the world of the infinitely small and an exhibit that will take the public on a journey through the cosmos, from the Big Bang to the present day. Finally, at the Real Casa dell’Annunziata, there will be an exhibition entitled “The cosmos in a leap. Atoms, quanta, technological revolutions”, organised by INFN National Institute of Nuclear Physics and the University of Naples Federico II, with the support of Rome Technopole and the contribution of the Municipality of Naples. The theme of the exhibition will be quantum mechanics, which will be explained through a variety of languages, from texts and infographics to videos and evocative images, from interactive multimedia installations to exhibits and research tools.
In Caserta, the Night will be held in the Flora Gardens of the Royal Palace: from 3 pm to 6 pm activities will be reserved for schools, while from 6 pm to 9 pm they will be open to the general public. The stars of the evening will be the KM3NeT experiment and the ERNA project, dedicated to nuclear astrophysics and accelerators, both carried out in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Campania.
For more information: https://www.nottedeiricercatori-streets.it/wp/events/
Padua and the INFN National Laboratories of Legnaro
The INFN Padua division and the INFN National Laboratories of Legnaro will participate in the European Researchers’ Night by joining the Science4All project promoted by the University of Padua, in Piazza Garibaldi, on September 28-29, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.
The INFN Padua division, in collaboration with the INAF National Institute of Astrophysics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Padua, will offer a packed programme of activities designed to engage and bring the public closer to the world of scientific research. Among the proposals are themed escape rooms dedicated to Earth physics, space, cosmic rays and particle accelerators, designed to engage and intrigue visitors of all ages. There will also be laboratories and workshops on fascinating topics such as quantum mechanics, the mystery of neutrinos, space missions, journeys into the universe and many other challenges of contemporary science.
The INFN Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) will propose a gazebo entitled “Journey through science, engineering and technology”, set up by the University of Padua. Inside the stand, visitors will be guided by researchers on an interactive journey combining science, engineering and technology, experiencing first-hand the instruments and objects used in physics laboratories. This immersive experience will give visitors an insight into the daily work of scientists through activities inspired by everyday life. A video will also be shown, showcasing the laboratory environments where instruments similar to those in the gazebo are used for research. At the end of the visit, each guest will be able to leave a comment in a dedicated notebook and take a photo next to the panel with the aerial view of the LNL.
For more information: https://science4all.it/argomento/fisica/
Pavia and Vigevano
The INFN Pavia division will also participate in the European Researchers’ Night in 2025, joining the SHARPER project in the cities of Pavia and Vigevano. In collaboration with the University of Pavia, the event “Science in the courtyard” will be held on September 26, bringing over 60 research stands to the university courtyards. It will be a unique opportunity to learn about the work of scientists through live experiments, demonstrations, posters, gadgets and many new features designed to stimulate curiosity and provide answers to the most fascinating questions in contemporary science. The event will also involve the city of Vigevano, where on September 21 the Castello Visconteo will be transformed into a large open-air laboratory. Here, the public will be able to meet young researchers from schools and the University of Pavia, try their hand at science quizzes and participate in numerous interactive activities designed to engage and inspire people of all ages.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-pavia/
Perugia
The INFN Perugia division will participate in the initiative together with the Department of Physics and Geology of the University of Perugia, as part of the European SHARPER project. For the occasion, the department will open its doors to the public with a rich programme of activities designed to bring adults and children closer to the world of scientific research. Visitors will be able to try their hand at HEPscape, an escape room that allows them to understand how a particle detector works in a fun way, or get involved in “Dancing with physics”, an experience in which the movements of the dancers evoke those of celestial bodies in orbit, revealing the physics behind every gesture. There will also be board games dedicated to discovering the great mysteries of physics, an open lab to explore the many faces of the Moon and, weather permitting, guided astronomical observations. Visitors will also be able to observe particle tracks using a cloud chamber, discover how gravitational waves work through a model of the Virgo experiment and talk directly to the researchers working on it. Finally, there will be an exhibition showing how quantum computing can become a creative tool, giving rise to music and visual artworks generated from the processing of qubits.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-perugia/
Rome and National Laboratories of Frascati
The INFN Frascati National Laboratories and the INFN Rome 1 and Rome Tor Vergata divisions will participate in the European Researchers’ Night as part of the NET – scieNcE Together project, which will be held from 26 to 27 September at the Net Village in the Testaccio district. In the exhibition area, researchers from the three centres will illustrate the main activities carried out by the organisation, the experiments, collaborations, technological developments and their social impact.
INFN Roma 1 will present its activities dedicated to the exploration of cosmic rays and gravitational waves. There will be an area dedicated to HEPscape room, the interactive game dedicated to particle physics, and, new this year, the virtual reality of the LHC will be offered, providing visitors with an immersive experience inside the world’s largest particle accelerator.
The INFN Roma Tor Vergata division will illustrate research in the field of astroparticles and space exploration and in the field of subnuclear physics, with a focus on the Higgs boson. Leading experiments and research in the field of fundamental physics will be presented and discussed.
The INFN National Laboratories of Frascati will present the results achieved in the development of new accelerators for research and industry, the particle detectors used in experiments, and will illustrate the research conducted in the field of dark matter and exotic matter. There will also be a creative workshop for children to learn about the constituents of matter, organised by INFN Kids. Also as part of the NET initiatives, on 22 and 23 September, the Frascati National Laboratories are organising guided tours, by reservation, to the Bruno Touschek Visitor Centre and the Dafne accelerator.
Also at the Città dell’Altra Economia, from 6.30 pm to 11 pm, EGO will be present, which, as part of SHARPER Night, will present the Big Bang Machine: an immersive, travelling installation that will take visitors on a virtual journey through space and time, back to the origins of our universe.
The INFN Rome 3 division, together with Roma Tre University, will participate in the initiative as the protagonist of the #LEAF project, an initiative organised by Frascati Scienza, dedicated to the care and future of our planet. The activities will begin on Tuesday 23 September, with guided tours of the Astrogarden dedicated to schools, an opportunity to observe the Sun through an educational telescope and learn about the world of astronomy. The highlight of the event will be on Friday 26 September, when participants of all ages will be able to experience science first-hand through workshops, immersive experiences and informative meetings. Among the activities on offer are a journey through the data from the Belle II experiment using VR headsets, games and activities on quantum dots, and workshops dedicated to infrared reflectography, the technique that allows hidden drawings to be discovered beneath works of art. There will also be opportunities to learn more about Density Functional Theory (DFT) and innovative applications that use nanoparticles and radiopharmaceuticals to recognise and selectively target cancer cells. The evening will also feature an evocative immersive exhibition that will take visitors beyond the boundaries of our galaxy to discover the large-scale structure of the cosmos, the mysteries of cosmology, space-time, black holes and gravitational waves. The programme will conclude with the conference “Quantum Mechanics: The Wonders of Reality”, scheduled for 10.30 pm at the Department.
For more information: https://www.scienzainsiemenet.it/, https://nottericerca.uniroma3.it/
Turin
On the occasion of European Researchers’ Night, the INFN Turin division will be present with its own stand on Saturday 27 September at the Castello del Valentino. The assigned location is part of the “Research Laboratories”, spaces designed as the beating heart of the event, where the public can experience the essence of scientific work up close. This year’s edition of UNIGHT is dedicated to the theme of research as a journey: a path made up of questions, attempts, insights, mistakes and new beginnings that, step by step, allows us to build tomorrow.
For more information: https://unightproject.eu/it/eventi/torino
Trento
The INFN TIFPA Institute (Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications) in Trento will participate in Research Night, organised by MUSE, starting at 5 pm on September 26. At the dedicated stand, visitors will be able to see a model of a particle accelerator, which will help them understand how proton therapy works, an innovative technique that uses proton beams to treat tumours.
For more information: https://nottedellaricerca.tn.it
Trieste
Once again this year, the activities of Researchers’ Night will be intertwined with the participation of the INFN Trieste division in the Trieste Next 2025 festival, scheduled from 26 to 28 September. As part of the SHARPER project, in collaboration with INAF Trieste, the stand “Science in the square: physics of the universe” will be open throughout the day on 26 September. The morning will be dedicated to schools, which will be able to try their hand at the board game “The first 5 minutes” created by INFN Game. In the afternoon, visitors will be invited to take a virtual tour of the INFN National Laboratories of Legnaro thanks to the support of the VR-lab LNL, as well as having the opportunity to observe particle detection first-hand through special exhibits. At the same time, under the porticoes of Trieste Town Hall, Street Science will take place: short outdoor conferences in which researchers will bring their science stories out of the laboratories to engage with and intrigue the public. Stefano Cannito will participate in the INFN Trieste section with a talk entitled “The Big Bang in the laboratory”.
For more information: https://www.sharper-night.it/sharper-trieste/
