The BIFI will participate in the new edition of the European Researchers’ Night

Posted 28 September, 2023

This Friday, September 29th, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, a new edition of the European Researchers’ Night will take place. For this event, the University of Zaragoza, through its Vice-Rectorate for Scientific Policy, has organized various activities in collaboration with the Scientific Culture Unit (UCC) and various University Research Institutes in Zaragoza, Huesca, and Teruel. The aim is to bring the work of different university research groups closer to the general public.

Through various activities (monologues, experiments, scientific cafés, guided tours, etc.), attendees will learn about the benefits these research projects bring to society. It will also be a great opportunity to promote scientific careers while addressing the gender gap.

These activities can be found in:

Zaragoza. Edificio Paraninfo
Huesca. Salón Azul del Casino (Plaza de Navarra)
Teruel. Porches de la Plaza del Torico (Museo Provincial de Teruel)

New this edition – The teeth for “ratoncito Pérez”

Children can participate in all three cities by donating their baby teeth to the Tooth Mouse (Ratoncito Pérez) for the National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH). This will aid ongoing paleoanthropological and forensic research. Currently, the collection has over 3,600 dental pieces from boys and girls aged 2 to 15, mainly from Spain, but also from countries such as Australia, China, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, and Russia. In return, they will receive a gift, a certificate as assistants to the Tooth Mouse, and merchandising from the Mouse’s House Museum in Madrid.

The BIFI Institute will participate with two experiments

This year, the BIFI Institute will set up a table in the hall of the Paraninfo, where they will present two scientific experiments to the public from 5 to 8 pm.

From Neurons to Memes: The Secret of ChatGPT Revelated

Have you ever wondered what’s behind a witty AI response? Join us on a journey to unravel the mysteries of ChatGPT. From the computing area of the BIFI Institute, we will play with this trendy tool, showing you how a network of “digital neurons” can produce such human-like, and sometimes even funnier, answers. Discover the perfect balance between science and humor in the world of AI.

Participating researchers: Chema Rueda (BIFI) and Juan Luis Duran (Kampal).

Scientific chefs: In search of the “Michelín Sphere”

Science has played a significant role in recent years in the culinary world, leading to “molecular cuisine.” Want to know more? Researchers from the University of Zaragoza will help us become real “molecular chefs” using science. We will demonstrate how drinks like juice, sodas, or even foods like yogurt, can turn into gelatin spheres with just two ingredients: alginate (from seaweed) and calcium. An innovative and exotic approach that allows both adults and children to enjoy the striking combination of science and cooking.

Participating researchers: Olga Arjona, Andrea Moreno, Paula Cinca, Irene Oliván, Víctor Correa, Diego Boj, and Marta Martínez.

European Project “Go for the Missions”

This year, the celebration of the European Researchers’ Night is part of the European project “Go for the Missions” (G9 Missions) of the Group 9 of Universities. Apart from the University of Zaragoza, participants include the University of Oviedo, University of Castilla-La Mancha, University of Extremadura, University of the Balearic Islands, University of the Basque Country, Public University of Navarra, and University of La Rioja.

The European Researchers’ Night, celebrated in over 370 cities across the continent, is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). This initiative aims to promote scientific careers in Europe and is part of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Additionally, in Zaragoza, CaixaForum, along with esCiencia, is associated with the European Researchers’ Night. The objective of the activities is to bring research to children, youth, families, and the general public, offering them a chance to discover research, science, and innovation.

Participants

Instituto de Biocomputación y Física Sistemas Complejos (BIFI)
Instituto de Investigación en Ingeniería de Aragón (I3A)
Instituto de Empleo, Sociedad Digital y Sostenibilidad (IEDIS)
Instituto de Patrimonio y Humanidades (IPH)
Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA)
Instituto Universitario de Matemáticas y Aplicaciones (IUMA)
Centro de Astropartículas y Física de Altas Energías (CAPA)
Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes
Instituto Mixto Centro de Investigación de Recursos y Consumos Energéticos (CIRCE, Fundación CIRCE-UNIZAR)
Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2, CITA-UNIZAR)
Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA, CSIC-UNIZAR)
Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea (ISQCH, CSIC-UNIZAR)
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón, SALUD ARAGÓN-IACS-UNIZAR)
Proyectos internacionales UNITA y ReUNITA.
Servicio de Apoyo a la Investigación (SAI)
Museo de Ciencias Naturales Unizar
Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc
Fundación Ibercivis y Kampal

More info

General Program of the Researcher’s Night