Valencia is preparing to live a unique afternoon in which science will become a participatory experience for the whole family. On 14 November, the 100xCiencia.9 congress, organized by Alianza SOMMa (Alliance of Centers of Excellence Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu), will open its doors to the public in the auditorium of the CaixaForum Valencia and in the Àgora space of the City of Arts and Science, with an attractive and innovative proposal that combines talks, experiments, theatre and music to bring research closer to the public.
The event will start with a musical touch by ALGABROWN & the pipettes, who along with researchers Amparo López-Rubio and Gloria Sánchez, from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), research center of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), will present the SOMMa Alliance and set the tone for an evening in which science becomes spectacle. Among the interventions, highlights the talk by Bruno J. Ballesteros, head of the Territorial Unit of Valencia of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), which will address the causes and consequences of the DANA of October 2024, a catastrophe that affected many Valencian populations.
On the other hand, humour and creativity join science with two short scientific monologues that will offer an ingenious look at current research: 'Going FASTA: a (very brief) history of bioinformatics', by Sergio Romera (IATA-CSIC), and 'Flying with sunlight: sustainable aviation fuels with solar energy', presented by Alfonso Carrillo (ITQ UPV-CSIC). Then, the Chemical Theatre of the University of Valencia will bring to the stage a show that turns scientific concepts into scenes full of humor and creativity, demonstrating that science can also excite and amuse.
Each proposal has been designed by research teams from the host centres, with the aim of bringing to society the cutting-edge science they develop in their laboratories in a practical, exciting and accessible way for all audiences
Meanwhile, in the space Àgora, from 17 to 19 hours of the evening, science will be experimented with hands. The interactive workshops will invite people of all ages to become protagonists in research, exploring everything from the secrets of the brain and nervous system to the mysteries of matter and light. Each proposal has been designed by research teams from the host centers, with the aim of bringing to society the cutting-edge science they develop in their laboratories in a practical, exciting and accessible way for all audiences.
In addition, activities such as 'Fungal Detective', which challenges the public to identify fungi responsible for agricultural pests, or 'Bring the truth to light', where ultraviolet light and luminol help solve a fictional crime, will show how scientific knowledge can be as fun as it is insightful. Visitors will also be able to discover how particle accelerators work, observe the smallest and elusive particles from the bottom of the sea through the ANTARES and KM3NeT neutrino telescopes, o be surprised by experiments on magnetism and levitation that will make the invisible visible.
Finally, to close the day with emotion and rhythm, the valencian group Soul Docks will offer a concert full of soul, blues and classic rock, uniting generations and celebrating science with music.
Under the motto 'Science for Society. Touching with Knowledge', 100xCience.9 will bring together leading researchers, R & D professionals, Political representatives and citizens to reflect and build bridges between science and society on 13 and 14 November at the CaixaForum in Valencia.
This edition features five highly recognized host institutions, which are key to the scientific development of the Valencian Community: the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol), the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC); the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), the latter three located in the academic scientific area of the PCUV; the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint centre of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the CSIC, and the Neuroscience Institute, a joint centre of the CSIC and the Miguel Hernández de Elche University (UMH).
Source: IFIC