European Researchers' Night is back, 116 cities celebrate

The European Researchers' Night is back, the great science festival that this year is dedicated to climate and cultural heritage and involves 27 countries including Italy, where laboratories in 116 cities open their doors to the public to encourage dialogue between citizens and scientists. The initiative is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions: this year it includes 55 projects across Europe and to celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage, about 20 of them are dedicated to this theme. These include initiatives organized in the European Capital of Culture 2019, Plovdiv, in Bulgaria and Valletta in Malta, where events combining art and science are planned. In Italy, the main research institutions are at the forefront, from the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), to the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) to the National Research Council (CNR), which in addition to opening offices and laboratories also organize many activities in the territory. For example, in Milan, the Researchers' Night began with the inauguration on September 23 at the Bicocca University, of the exhibition to celebrate 50 years since the landing of man on the Moon. In Trieste, on the other hand, it lasts the whole weekend: from September 27 to 29 in Piazza Unita', virtual reality will be used to travel in the Solar System. There are also many initiatives in Rome, the result of the collaboration project between research institutions and universities ScienzaInsieme, such as the opening of the Astronomical Observatory at Monte Porzio, guided tours of the Tor Vergata Research Area, the opening of the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF). In Rome, the doors of the European Space Agency (ASI) will also be open, where workshops, exhibitions, and film screenings are planned. There are also numerous events in Naples: they touch on historic sites, such as the Museo Novecento, Castel Sant'Elmo, and the Archaeological Museum, and culminate on the night of Friday 27 at the Astronomical Observatory. Science is also celebrating in the squares and research centers of Catania, L'Aquila, Lucca, Palermo, Pisa, Rende, and Rocca di Papa with conferences, experiments, workshops, and even a 'scientific' treasure hunt.