IUSS and PlanEat join forces for students of Liceo Copernico
A day dedicated to sustainability, scientific research, and interactive workshops to introduce students to the university environment and guide them in their future educational choices.
On 5 November 2026, the IUSS University School for Advanced Studies Pavia will host an Orientation Day organized in collaboration with PlanEat, a platform promoting sustainable food consumption by preventing food waste.
The initiative will involve two third-year classes from the Nicolò Copernico Scientific High School in Pavia in a programme combining sustainability education and university orientation, offering students the opportunity to discover IUSS and experience the world of scientific research first-hand.
The morning will begin with an interactive workshop led by PlanEat, engaging students in practical activities and discussions on the importance of sustainable eating habits and conscious everyday choices to reduce food waste. This will be followed by a lunch prepared by PlanEat, turning the topics explored during the workshop into a practical and shared experience.
In the afternoon, the programme will continue with four workshops led by IUSS faculty members and researchers, allowing students to explore different disciplines through hands-on activities.
1. Stimulating the Brain, Personalizing Treatment: A Hands-on HD-tDCS Workshop
Prof. Nicola Canessa
This cognitive neuroscience workshop will introduce participants to the theoretical foundations and experimental and clinical applications of HD-tDCS (high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. Participants will explore procedures for personalizing neurostimulation using data obtained from functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as the potential applications of HD-tDCS in neurocognitive rehabilitation. A practical session will involve administering stimulation to a volunteer, with explanations of the protocols and safety procedures, allowing participants to become familiar with electrodes, stimulation parameters, and administration methods.
2. Immersive EEG: Integrating Virtual Reality and Electroencephalography to Study Mental Functions
Prof. Giulia Mattavelli
This workshop aims to introduce students to the objectives and methods of ongoing research in cognitive and clinical neuroscience at IUSS. Participants will take part in a simulated experiment involving the recording of brain activity through electroencephalography (EEG) while watching a 360-degree video using a virtual reality headset. The activity will highlight the connection between technological advances in society and developments in scientific research. In particular, students will discover how three-dimensional virtual environments can create complex and immersive sensory experiences, track movements during interactions with other individuals, and measure the corresponding changes in brain activity.
3. An Introduction to General Relativity: A Hands-on Workshop
Prof. Andrea Tiengo
How does the motion of a small ball change when it passes near objects of different masses? And what happens to a beam of light?
Through simple, hands-on experiments, participants will explore some of the fundamental concepts underlying Einstein's theory of general relativity and their implications for our understanding of the Universe and everyday life.
The workshop will also help explain the distinctive appearance of the black hole depicted in the film Interstellar.
4. Experimental Pragmatics: From the Web to Social Media
Dr. Luca Bischetti
Every day, we use metaphors online without even realizing it: a post explodes, a video goes viral, or a tweet sparks a storm. Metaphors are everywhere. According to some analyses, approximately one in every seven words is used metaphorically, from newspaper articles and books to everyday conversations.
But how do we understand that when a public figure is caught in a storm, we are not actually talking about winter weather?
This is one of the questions addressed by experimental pragmatics, a field that investigates, through tests, questionnaires, and experiments, how people interpret meanings that go beyond the literal words used.
How is metaphorical language evolving online? Which expressions are most widespread? How are pragmatic mechanisms used to create, share, and communicate through memes?
The workshop will provide an introduction to this field, exploring everyday metaphors and online communication through theoretical insights, practical examples, and short experiments designed to encourage reflection on how we understand one another on the web.