Elettra Highlights 2024–2025 185 opportunity to experience the world of light-based science through direct interaction with Elettra and FERMI researchers. Friday morning was dedicated to schools (5): classes from Trieste and neighboring towns participated in guided sessions introducing the principles of synchrotron and laser light, followed by short experiments and group challenges. Throughout the weekend, the interactive quiz became the central tool for engagement. Structured in progressively challenging levels, it led participants to discover how a free-electron laser works and how light reveals the structure of matter. Each question provided a starting point for short conversations with scientists, who adapted their explanations to the audience’s curiosity and level of knowledge. In total, around 310 teams— representing more than one thousand people—completed the quiz, turning the stand into a lively forum for scientific dialogue. On Sunday morning, the activity “Scienziati in Piazza” brought the youngest visitors closer to physics through play (6). Researchers proposed simple experiments and interactive games— based on light, pressure, and materials— that linked familiar experiences to the fundamental phenomena studied at Elettra and FERMI. The activity was specifically designed to encourage curiosity and observation among children, making science accessible and enjoyable in an informal setting. Trieste Next International Academy More than sixty students from the Trieste Next International Academy visited the FERMI free-electron laser as part of a three-day programme for international bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students, which included thematic sessions on robotics, artificial intelligence, medical sciences, and biotechnology. SHARPER 2025 – European Researchers’ Night Trieste, 26 September 2025 Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste also took part in SHARPER 2025 – European Researchers’ Night, a Europe-wide initiative held simultaneously in multiple cities to promote open science and interaction between researchers and the public. The event included activities across Friuli Venezia Giulia, from classroom meetings to public performances and science communication projects. As part of the format “An Hour (in Class) with a Researcher”, on 23 September, Laura Badano, researcher with the FERMI Accelerator Group, delivered the interactive lecture “From Mummies to the Mysteries of the Universe: The Adventure of Particle Accelerators” to students of Dante Lower Secondary School, illustrating how accelerators are used in medicine and fundamental research. On 29 September and 1 October, Giuseppe Penco, Head of Operations at the FERMI free-electron laser, presented “FERMI: Extreme Light to Explore the Invisible” to students of Galilei High School and ITIS Volta (7), explaining the experimental techniques used to investigate matter at ultrafast timescales through a hands-on demonstration. For the Street Science initiative promoted with SIS FVG, on 26 September, Michele Manfredda, researcher at FERMI, presented “A Day at the Synchrotron” (8), a short performance combining scientific accuracy and storytelling to depict the daily work of researchers using light to study matter. Finally, in collaboration with the University of Trieste and Immaginario Scientifico, the video “The Third Dimension of the Periodic Table”— produced by Alessandro Baraldi (University of Trieste) with contributions from Elettra and the Nanoscale Materials Laboratory—introduced the concept of nanoclusters and their distinctive physical and chemical properties. Events 7 5 8 6
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4NzI=