On Friday, May 16th, 2025, is the International Day of Light, established by UNESCO on the anniversary of the invention of the laser, to highlight the importance of light in science, culture, and sustainable development.
The Department of Physics and the Museum of Physics Instruments are offering a rich program of activities and events dedicated to the theme:
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Festival of Light for Primary Schools, Museum of Physics Instruments
- Hands-on labs for primary school classes organized by the Scientific Toy Library (Ludoteca Scientifica)
- Exhibition of student projects developed during previous STEM programs in primary schools
- Awards ceremony: “Heroes and Heroines of Light”
1:30 PM – 2:45 PM: Science Café, Department of Physics – Room 250 and laboratories
- Science Café: From X-rays to visible radiation, from Infrared to Terahertz and squeezed light.
How different forms of light are used in Biophysics, Medical Physics, Material Science, and Astrophysics – led by Francesca Cella Zanacchi and Matteo Morrocchi - Lab activity: Relativity in a Room, conducted by Giorgio Carelli
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Beyond the Horizon: Solar Light and Energy for New Economic Models and Professions, Museum of Physics Instruments
- STEM UP educational and career guidance session: “Measuring the Sun: From the Solarimeter to Solar Panels”, led by Sergio Giudici and Valerio Franco Pecchia, in collaboration with the National Scientific Degree Plan (PNLS)
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM, Museum of Physics Instruments
- STEM UP educational and career guidance session: “Shared Energy: Socioeconomic Impact of Energy Communities”, led by Giulio Raimondi, Aforisma Social Enterprise Cooperative
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Museum of Physics Instruments
- Talk: “Long-Distance Photography in the Visible and Infrared”, by Fabio Longaron, followed by a guided tour of the Beyond the Horizon photo exhibition