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Researchers’ Night 2026 in Milan
The last Friday of September is always an exciting date on my calendar: Researchers’ Night. Researchers across the world bring their science outside the lab into the streets, museums, and universities. For me, it’s about sharing what we do and our passion for science to the people that could benefit the most.
On 26 September 2025, this special night was celebrated all across Europe. More than 1.5 million people took part in activities spread across 460 cities in 25 countries. From experiments and hands-on games to lively discussions and exhibitions, it was a chance for people of all ages to dive into the world of science and connect directly with researchers in their communities.
This was my second time joining Researchers’ Night in Milan after my first experience in 2025, but this year felt different. For the first time, I was going to showcase the project I’m working on as part of my MSCA postdoctoral fellowship. My research is about figuring out what environmental factors might cause babies to be born too early, before 37 weeks instead of the full-term 40. What made it feel especially personal was that I’m using data from all pregnant women living in Lombardia. In a way, I was meeting people at the event who, until now, only existed in my dataset as numbers. Even though our dataset is fully anonymised, standing there and talking to people who might one day benefit from my work was both nerve-wracking and incredibly exciting. It made me feel the real impact my research could have.
In past editions, I had developed interactive games that people could play on their phones by scanning a QR code. This time, though, I wanted to create something hands-on that families could play together. It was time for some brainstorming with the young researchers from the Zuccolo group.
We sat down with Valeria and Alice and started listing concepts from my project alonside games we loved playing as kids (and maybe still enjoy now). Eventually, we settled on a Memory game, where players try to find matching pairs of cards, flipping only two cards at a time. The idea was to draw concepts from the project on the cards so we could explain them to participants as they played, and leave room to improvise or adapt the game depending on the players’ age.
However, our first attempt at a vertical poster for the game didn’t go as planned. We had used velkro to attach the cards but flippling one often pulled the whole poster down, definitely not kid-friendly. Then, Lucia suggested using wooden clothespins, and it worked like a charm. I also want to thank the Human Technopole communication team for suggesting a fabric poster, it not only looked good but could also be reused for future events. With that, we were ready for the night.
Running the activity throughout the evening was a learning experience in itself. alking to children and families was easy and fun, while discussing the project with curious university professors could be more challenging, especially when they came with preconceptions. We found the game worked best when we shortened it slightly, uncovering some cards to keep the pace lively. What impressed me most was how genuinely interested people were, teenagers included! Many not only played along but also contributed thoughtful ideas. We even gave participants the chance to draw their own cards, creating new concepts for us to explore.
I also want to give a big thank you to Laura and Giulia, who stepped in at the last minute to help me run the game. Having them there made the whole activity much smoother and, honestly, way more fun. As you can see, so many people contributed to this event, and it really reminded me how much collaboration and shared energy can bring a project to life.
For me, the whole evening was more than just outreach. It was also a reminder of why I love being a researcher. Walking around and seeing so many projects about water quality, forensics, wool, chessnuts, nuclear fusion, migratory birds, light, microscopes and many more; meeting other passionate researchers, and sharing ideas left me feeling recharged and inspired. It was like plugging back into the energy that keeps science alive.
I have also come away convinced that this memory-game format could be adapted to almost any scientific project. It’s simple, interactive and fun, perfect for bringing abstract concepts to life. So if you’re a fellow researcher looking for a way to engage the public, feel free to borrow the idea!
The last Friday of September is always an exciting date on my calendar: Researchers’ Night. Researchers across the world bring their science outside the lab into the streets, museums, and universities. For me, it’s about sharing what we do and our passion for science to the people that could benefit the most.
On 26 September 2025, this special night was celebrated all across Europe. More than 1.5 million people took part in activities spread across 460 cities in 25 countries. From experiments and hands-on games to lively discussions and exhibitions, it was a chance for people of all ages to dive into the world of science and connect directly with researchers in their communities.