CNPEM opens to the public during the 2023 “Ciência Aberta” event

Free event on June 17 with a visit to Sirius and activities for everyone at the CNPEM campus in Campinas, São Paulo

Have you always wanted to ask a scientist questions? Now is your chance!

The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) campus in Campinas, São Paulo will hold an open house event on June 17 for visitors to get a closer look at Sirius, one of the world’s most advanced particle accelerators and the only one in Latin America. It is also an opportunity for the whole family to participate in activities scheduled in all the laboratories that make up the CNPEM and conduct research in the areas of bioscience, nanotechnology, and biorenewables. The event will also feature activities involving the engineering and technology team, as well as the Ilum School of Science.

Part of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), the CNPEM strives to spread enthusiasm for science and is always open to research and dialog with society; every year it holds “Ciência Aberta” [“Open Science”], a free event (a donation of 1 kg of non-perishable food is requested but not required) to promote science in a broader and more inclusive manner, encouraging scientific outreach and active participation by the public in exploring knowledge.

The event, which was suspended for the past three years because of the pandemic, offers visitors the chance to meet scientists who work in many different fields. The activities are planned to help visitors understand how experiments are conducted and how the cutting-edge infrastructure is used to advance the knowledge that drives the development of new technologies and searches for solutions to all types of problems in areas like health, energy, food production, the environment, and the development of new materials.

16,000 people visited the CNPEM campus during the last “Ciência Aberta” event in 2019 | Photo credit: CNPEM Archive

Sirius

The 2023 “Ciência Aberta” program includes a visit to Sirius, the state-of-the-art particle accelerator that was designed and constructed at the CNPEM. This enormous research tool uses a very special type of radiation known as synchrotron light to investigate the composition and structure of inorganic and organic materials at the atomic and molecular level under special conditions and with resolution that conventional microscopes cannot provide.

Sirius is Brazil’s largest and most complex scientific project, and like the other facilities in the national laboratories that are part of the CNPEM serves scientists from universities and research centers throughout Brazil and abroad.

Activities

The 2023 “Ciência Aberta” event will include 85 interactive activities planned to involve and inspire visitors of all ages, from hands-on sessions demonstrating some of the concepts utilized in laboratory research activities to demonstrations of groundbreaking technology, where participants will have a chance to take a deep dive into the world of science and explore various areas like physics, chemistry, biology, advanced materials, and much more.

The food court will also offer visitors delicious options as well as a space to relax and recharge between activities. Limited free parking will be available at the Sabis International School, an event partner.

The complete list of activities is available on the event website, but here are some highlights:

VISIT SIRIUS!

Get a good look at Brazil’s largest and most complex scientific infrastructure, inside and out!

The enormous state-of-the-art particle accelerator was planned and built with Brazilian technology to generate synchrotron light, a special type of light that is very useful for experiments in practically all areas of science. This extraordinary tool makes it possible to investigate the composition and structure of organic and inorganic materials at the atomic and molecular level in specific conditions and resolution that conventional microscopes cannot provide. Besides the visit to Sirius, the participants will be able to check out activities such as “THE INCREDIBLE WORLD OF SUPERCONDUCTIVE LEVITATION,” which will demonstrate physical principles related to the superconductive properties of certain materials, and “DETECTIVES OF THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE,” which will present intriguing facts from nature and how experiments conducted at Sirius can help solve some mysteries in this area.

WHO WANTS TO SEE DNA?

Is genetic material visible? Come see with your own eyes and discover how much DNA we humans share with bananas.

PLANT ARMOR

A fun workshop about biomolecules! Discover how nature creates “armor” for plants and how science can use this resource to create biologically-based renewable products.

LIFE IS NANO

We invite you to experience the nanoscale! See how extremely small organisms and structures can present major challenges in modern science. Also, see nano-scale images of samples from everyday objects in 3D.

HUNTING FOR TARDIGRADES AND MOLECULES

Meet tardigrades in our microscopic zoo: these animals are tiny but can survive in extreme heat, cold, and even in space! Also learn about proteins and molecular machines with 3D-printed models.

HITTING THE TARGET WITH ELECTRONS

Did you know that Sirius’s electron beam is controlled with magnets and electromagnetic fields? This workshop offers a fun way to learn how it all works!

Event:

Day: June 17, 2023
Time: Visitor entry from 9 am to 3 pm. Departure from campus until 5 pm
Tickets: Free (voluntary donation of 1 kg of non-perishable food)
Location: The CNPEM is located at Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000 – Polo II de Alta Tecnologia in Campinas, São Paulo
https://cnpem.br/como-chegar/
Parking: Limited free parking is available next door to the CNPEM at the Sabis International School

About CNPEM

A sophisticated and effervescent environment for research and development, unique in Brazil and present in few scientific centers in the world, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is a private non-profit organization, under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). The Center operates four National Laboratories and is the birthplace of the most complex project in Brazilian science – Sirius – one of the most advanced synchrotron light sources in the world. CNPEM brings together highly specialized multi-thematic teams, globally competitive laboratory infrastructures open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects in partnership with the productive sector and training of researchers and students. The Center is an environment driven by the search for solutions with impact in the areas of Health, Energy and Renewable Materials, Agro-environment, and Quantum Technologies. As of 2022, with the support of the Ministry of Education (MEC), CNPEM expanded its activities with the opening of the Ilum School of Science. The interdisciplinary higher course in Science, Technology and Innovation adopts innovative proposals with the aim of offering excellent, free, full-time training with immersion in the CNPEM research environment. Through the CNPEM 360 Platform, it is possible to explore, in a virtual and immersive way, the main environments and activities of the Center, visit: https://pages.cnpem.br/cnpem360/.