Researchers’ Night in Madrid
Fundación madri+d coordinated the first Researchers’ Night in Madrid. This activity is promoted and co-funded by the European Commission under the People Programme of the Seventh Framework Programme. The Researchers’ Night is held since 2005 throughout Europe and this year it took place in more than two hundred European cities during the night of the 24th of September. “Creativity for the progress of Europe” was the motif chosen for the European Researchers´ Night in Madrid. That Night, 18 activities were organized by 11 science institutions in 13 different venues all over the Madrid Region in the cities of Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, Móstoles and Fuenlabrada. Between 18.00 and 24.00 pm more than 6.000 people enjoyed and participated in amusing and playful activities. The Researchers’ Night in Madrid had two main objectives: bringing researchers closer to the public and enhancing the public recognition of scientists, fostering scientific vocations among young people. Fundación madri+d led a consortium with the main science institutions in Madrid: the public universities Alcalá, Autónoma, Complutense, Carlos III, Rey Juan Carlos, Politécnica, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, as well as, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial; Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. A great variety of activities were offered, from encounters with researchers in the framework of The Botanic Garden to performances about Magic and Science; guided visits to the university scientific museums and collections; Haendel music played by bacteria; pirotechnics and chemistry; contest-workshop about Statistics and Maths; Scientific Cafe about artificial intelligence; a talk-show about the life and work of Antonio Meucci (1850–1875); a performance with Physics, coffee and jazz; the search of a treasure with geocaching, a walk on the moon; a guided visit to one of the oldest libraries in Europe; activities about multiculturalism to raise the awareness on the diversity and plurality of European cultures; round tables where cutting-edge scientists told the audiences why they chose to be a scientist; the invisible world of the wireless communication; challenges related to energy and environment in Europe or what means to be a scientists in Europe. More than one hundred researchers involved More than one hundred researchers were involved in these activities and during the Night attendees could talk with them and ask them those questions they were concerned about the scientific world: How does a researcher really work?; How is his daily life? What benefits does his work bring to society? What can young people do to become a researcher? All these questions found their answers during that magic Night.
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Pays
Spain