▪︎ Under the theme ‘Science for Society, Touching ConSciences’, 100xCiencia.9 will bring together researchers, managers, and public officials to strengthen the bridges between science and citizens.

▪︎ ICMol (UV), IFIC (CSIC-UV), IATA-CSIC, ITQ (UPV-CSIC), and IN (CSIC-UMH) will join forces for a special day designed to experience science firsthand in the heart of València.

València is getting ready for a unique afternoon in which science will become a participatory experience for the whole family. On November 14, the 100xCiencia.9 congress, organized by the SOMMa Alliance (the Alliance of Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu Centers of Excellence), will open its doors to the public at the CaixaForum València auditorium and the Àgora space of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. The event offers an attractive and innovative program that combines talks, experiments, theatre, and music to bring research closer to society.

The event will begin with a musical touch by ALGABROWN & the Pipettes, who, together with researchers Amparo López-Rubio and Gloria Sánchez from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), will introduce the SOMMa Alliance and set the tone for an afternoon where science takes the stage. Among the presentations, a highlight will be the talk by Bruno J. Ballesteros, Head of the Valencia Territorial Unit of the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME-CSIC), who will discuss the causes and consequences of the October 2024 DANA. This natural disaster affected numerous towns in the Valencian region.

Humor and creativity will also join forces with science through two short scientific monologues offering a witty look at current research: ‘Going FASTA: A (Very Brief) History of Bioinformatics’ by Sergio Romera (IATA-CSIC), and ‘Flying with Sunlight: Sustainable Aviation Fuels from Solar Energy’ by Alfonso Carrillo (ITQ UPV-CSIC). Next, the Teatro Químico of the University of Valencia will bring to the stage a show that transforms scientific concepts into scenes full of humor and imagination, proving that science can also move and entertain.

Meanwhile, at the Àgora space, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., science will be explored hands-on. Interactive workshops will invite people of all ages to become researchers for a day, discovering everything from the secrets of the brain and nervous system to the mysteries of matter and light. Each activity has been designed by research teams from the host institutions to showcase the cutting-edge science they conduct in their laboratories in a practical, exciting, and accessible way for all audiences.

Activities such as ‘Fungal Detective’, challenging participants to identify fungi responsible for agricultural plagues, or ‘Bring the Truth to Light’, where ultraviolet light and luminol help solve a fictional crime, will demonstrate that scientific knowledge can be as fun as it is enlightening.

Visitors will also have the chance to discover how particle accelerators work, observe the smallest and most elusive particles from the depths of the sea through the ANTARES and KM3NeT neutrino telescopes, or be amazed by experiments on magnetism and levitation that make the invisible visible.

Finally, to close the day with rhythm and emotion, the Valencian band Soul Docks will offer a concert filled with soul, blues, and classic rock, uniting generations and celebrating science through music.

'Science for Society. Touching conSciences'

Under the theme ‘Science for Society. Touching conSciences’, 100xCiencia.9 will bring together leading researchers, R&D professionals, policymakers, and citizens to reflect and build bridges between science and society on November 13 and 14 at CaixaForum València.

This edition features five highly recognized host institutions that play a key role in the scientific development of the Valencian Community: the Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol, University of Valencia); the  Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), affiliated with the University of Valencia (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC); the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint center of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the CSIC; and the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the CSIC and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH).

More information about the event and program available at the 100xCiencia.9 website

*Location: Auditorium and Plaza Ágora Space - CaixaForum