UN’ORA CON LA RICERCA. School year 2026/2027
MEET THE RESEARCHERS
“An Hour with Research” – Academic Year 2026/2027
As part of the “Un’ora con la Ricerca” (An Hour with Research) initiative, organised within the framework of the European Researchers’ Night, schools in Pavia and the surrounding province will have the opportunity to take part in seminars and interactive sessions dedicated to exploring science through direct dialogue with researchers working in different scientific fields.
The activities will take place from October 2026 to May 2027 and will involve a total of 38 researchers affiliated with the University of Pavia, the Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) – Pavia Division, the Institute of Molecular Genetics (IGM-CNR), and the University Museum System (SMA).
CURRENTLY HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS
We would particularly like to highlight the following activities offered by researchers from Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
1. Mr Homunculus and the Tangled Brain
Giulia Mattavelli – IUSS Pavia
An interactive session exploring the human brain, neurons, and the mechanisms that control body movements. Through games and coordination exercises, pupils will have the opportunity to challenge their brains and discover the curious character of Mr Homunculus.
2. The Sky, Space, the Universe and Everything
Paolo Esposito – IUSS Pavia
A fascinating journey through planets, stars, galaxies, and black holes, exploring the immense sizes and distances of the universe with the guidance of an astrophysicist.
Particularly suitable for Years 4 and 5 of primary school (approximately ages 9–11).
UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
3. Mysteries and Wonders of Human Language
Matteo Greco – IUSS Pavia
A session exploring the fascinating secrets of human language, the principles that allow us to construct an infinite number of sentences from a limited set of elements, and the connections between the brain, mind, and language.
4. Decision-Making: From the Brain to Disasters
Giulia Mattavelli and Marcello Arosio – IUSS Pavia
An interdisciplinary exploration of how the brain makes decisions and how human choices can contribute to disaster prevention and risk mitigation, bringing together insights from neuroscience and civil engineering.
5. Predicting the Unpredictable: Chaos and Weather
Marco Gaetani – IUSS Pavia
An introduction to atmospheric phenomena, the complexity of the atmosphere, and the challenges of weather forecasting, helping students better understand and interpret weather information and the environment around us.
INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS
The sessions are available from October 2026 to May 2027 and are open to schools in Pavia and the surrounding province.
To book a session, interested teachers should contact the researcher responsible for the activity directly, using the “PRENOTA” (BOOK) link provided on the webpage dedicated to each session.
To explore the complete list of activities available for the 2026/2027 academic year, organised by school level, and access the relevant booking contacts, please visit the official website of the INFN – Pavia Division:
https://www.pv.infn.it/oraconlaricerca/
Where several classes from the same school are interested in the same activity, teachers are encouraged to combine classes whenever possible, in order to make the best use of researchers’ availability.
The sessions listed above represent a selection of the activities highlighted so far. The full programme, including activities for lower secondary schools and additional sessions for other school levels, is available on the INFN website.