Open labs 2016… follow the wave! at LNF

Saturday 14 may, at 10 pm, the traditional National Laboratory of Frascati open day successfully came to an end.

• 2500 visitors of every age, whole families and children, students, an interested and curious public.
• 116 Students in Staff coming from 15 high schools from surroundings of Rome, involved in a stage dedicated to the organization of the event.
• 150 employees, associated personnel and LNF guests who took care of welcoming our guests and communicating with enthusiasm their research activity in the welcoming and stimulating environment of our Laboratory.

Volunteers from the Red Cross and Civil Protection lent their precious help in maintaining public safety.

The Director, Pierluigi Campana remarked:
Almost 2500 visitors, despite averse climate conditions, represent an exceptional achievement which shows, once again, the great interest of taxpayers in research.
The Laboratory welcomed everyone with efficiency and team spirit; an excellent organizational formula.The rich program involved the participants in guided tours at the experimental facilities and at the particle Detectors exhibit (Open Detectors), hosting detectors which have been used in INFN experiments, many of them still operating. Three of the pieces, one of KM3Net’s DOM, a cosmic shower and one of ALICE’s TOF modules, were kindly lent us by, respectively, the INFN Sections of Catania, Torino and Bologna.

8 demonstrative stands allowed the public to learn about the LNF research activities and have many of their questions about microscopes, superconducting magnets, detectors, mirrors and electronic sensors answered.

A special attention was dedicated to the considerable number of children and kids, with tours around the Laboratory and at the detectors exhibit, educational games, readings for the youngest and experimental lessons – “The Wow of Physics”- that surprised and interested our younger visitors.
Students, too, had a chance to satisfy their curiosity at the “Motivator Corner”, for university orientation.

The XI edition of the annual context addressed to high schools, ScienzaPerTutti, with over 500 students, came to an end with the award ceremony for the schools from Monselice (Pa), Genzano (Rm), Torino, Bari and Piacenza.

The string of conferences in the Auditorium hosted internationally acclaimed guests, expert in different research fields, who talked about the most recent discoveries and the future challenges of science.

First time events were the lessons concerning music and sports:

• the Skateboard Physics, first introduction to skate (6-66 yeas) and educational performances, in collaboration with Skate Republic a.s.d. ;
• Physics & Jazz conference, followed by a much appreciated jazz concert by Andrea Beneventano, Francesco Puglisi e Pietro Iodice, which led to the conclusion of the whole event.

A non-stop Street Food area allowed the visitors to stay at the LNF enjoying our programme for the whole day.

On our website, http://www.lnf.infn.it/edu/openlabs/2016/, in the next few days, it will be possible to live again through the events of the day thanks to our photo gallery and the recordings of the conferences in the Bruno Touschek Auditorium.

Here is a short video to share with you all the atmosphere of a special day: https://youtu.be/-qqrWUZUEOk

See you next year.

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support.