Success for Bios+ and IRSOL open days

Last weekend, specifically Saturday, 25 May, more than 700 people participated in the open days organised by various institutes affiliated with Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). Dozens and dozens of visitors came to the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), the Oncology Research Institute (IOR) and the Translational Research Laboratories of the EOC in Bellinzona, as well as to the Istituto ricerche solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL) and the Specola Solare Ticinese in Locarno.

In the capital of Ticino, over 600 people visited the laboratories associated with the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences. They had the opportunity to learn about various research programs and engage directly with researchers from IRB, IOR, and the translational research laboratories of the EOC. The event was appealing to both adults and children and was characterised by enthusiasm and curiosity. For the IRB and IOR presidents, Avv. Gabriele Gendotti and Prof. Franco Cavalli, "such events are essential, because it is both important that people understand science and that they can also be involved in it".

Despite the adverse weather conditions, the open day at the Istituto Ricerche Solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL), and the Specola Solare Ticinese was successful. The rain spared the hundred or so visitors, including many teenagers and children, who participated in the event held in Locarno-Monti. Although it was impossible to observe the Sun in real time, participants at the IRSOL could view the sophisticated instrumentation and observations gathered over the previous days, during which the Sun had been particularly active. At the various stations, visitors experienced the properties of light and the techniques used to analyse it, including spectroscopy and polarimetry. Some fifteen IRSOL employees contributed to the success of the event by providing explanations on the research activities carried out and answering the many questions of the public, who were always interested and involved.