The Cosmology group in Ferrara is involved in a series of education and public outreach activities.
Education is devoted to high-school students. It is key to make the academic system and the educational system talk to each other, to help students to discover their potential and unveil their interests, and to allow for a thoughtful choice of the academic path.
Outreach is essential to bridge the gap between expert knowledge and shared — and accessible — culturale heritage.
Our main activities include:
– Laboratori di Fisica Moderna a UNIFE: lab activities (computing and coding) on topics in cosmology, aimed to V-grade (last year) high-school students. In 2020, students analysed CMB data to constrain the curvature parameter of the Universe. We had a two-year stop due to the COVID-19 emergency. In 2023, we proposed a computational experience to develop a simple N-body simulation.
– Stage Estivi a Fisica: lab activities (computing and coding) on topics in cosmology, aimed to IV-grade (second-to-the-last year) high-school students. During the past edition (2023), students had to solve a series of mysterious tasks to reconstruct the history of the Universe. Proposed activities can be explored at this link.
– Corso di Eccellenza: seminars on cutting-edge topics in cosmology, aimed to IV-grade and V-grade (second-to-the-last and last year) high-school students. During the past edition, Prof. Luca Pagano introduced aspects of General Relativity.
– Pint of Science: informal seminars held in local bars and pubs, with time for interaction between speakers and public. In the 2022 edition, Martina Gerbino showed how the misterious neutrinos have been challenging physics since their appearance.
– Venerdi’ dell’Universo: outreach seminars for the general public. Scope of the initiative is science dissemination, ranging from more classical themes to new frontiers.
– Soapbox Science: a day-long informal event that brings together female researchers in STEMM disciplines and the general public. No slides, no prepared talks, just a soapbox stand and our own voice to tell the public about our daily research.
