On Friday 25 September 2026 BRIGHT returns, the European Researchers’ Night.

The full programme of activities at the Pisa Research Area is available at https://nottedeiricercatori.pisa.it/.

Within these activities, the Pisa section of the National Institute of Optics will be on the front line, as always. Starting on the morning of Wednesday 23 September, the Pisa Research Area will host primary school children from Pisa and the surrounding area to introduce them to science through play. In particular, the youngest visitors will be able to try out a game developed by INO researchers to help them grasp the basic concepts of laser-driven nuclear fusion. The mornings of Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September will instead be dedicated to upper secondary schools, specifically to the third, fourth and fifth year classes. On Thursday morning, as part of the science podcast section, INO researcher Gabriele Cristoforetti will give a talk entitled: “Can we light a small star on Earth (or in the lab)?”, while on Friday morning, as part of the now customary BRIGHT-Tech talks, young researcher Caterina Mozzo will speak about fusion in a mini TED talk entitled: “How to persuade a tiny sphere to become a star”. Both talks will focus on laser-driven nuclear fusion. Afterwards, on both Thursday and Friday morning, students will be able to explore the various research stands set up at the Pisa CNR site, which will then be offered again on Friday afternoon, when the CNR’s Pisa campus opens its doors to the general public, as is now traditional.

The Pisa section of the National Institute of Optics will contribute to the research stands with the traditional visit to the Superlaser at the ILIL laboratory, and will also set up “Optics experiments in the dark”, an activity suitable for younger visitors too, devoted to the basic concepts of geometrical optics such as reflection, refraction and total internal reflection.

Both activities can be booked at the following links:

• Visit to the Super Laser: https://www.eventbrite.it/e/1999663401062?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Optics experiments in the dark: https://www.eventbrite.it/e/1999661924646?aff=oddtdtcreator

The nuclear fusion game will also be offered again. In addition, INO researchers will show how a laser-driven particle accelerator works, along with other small experiments starring the laser, and much more.

Finally, once darkness falls, from 7.00 p.m. until 10.00 p.m. — weather permitting, of course — visitors will be able to make astronomical observations through the telescope, in particular of Saturn and its rings, and more besides.

This event can also be booked at the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.it/e/2001345917514?aff=oddtdtcreator

The classic Science Playroom will be set up for younger visitors and beyond.