Come face to face with researchers at European Researchers Night, 22 September 2006

Brussels, 15 September 2006

After the success of 2005, the European Commission is once again supporting events across Europe to celebrate “European Researchers Night”. There will be 30 events in 21 European countries, from Stockholm to Naples, from Reykjavik to Izmir, all on 22 September 2006. These special events will give the general public, whether young or old, already interested in science or just wanting to find out more, the opportunity to find out about the fun of science in many different ways. Fly among the stars, turn your kitchen into a lab, travel inside your brain, take part in a volcanic eruption – these are all part of the European Researchers Night experience!

In more than 100 European cities, researchers will invite the public into their world of labs, collections, instruments and help them to be “scientists for a night”. In this way, people will be able to discover the real world of research and experience the fascination of what it is to be a researcher.

In Athens you can spend the night on the beach with oceanographers. In Milan you can discover the magic world of stem cells. In Spain you can delve into the inner workings of your own mind.

In Brussels you can meet Asimo, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, enjoy a theatrical improvisation about the life of scientists or dance the night away to two researchers’ orchestras. At the Planetarium you can play baseball with the stars, build and launch your own rocket, and dig craters on the Moon.

To find out your nearest events, go to the website http://ec.europa.eu/research/researchersineurope/index_en.htm , click on Researchers Night 2006 and browse by country. Information is available about the activities planned, where they are going on and there are links to websites with more detailed information.

Brussels events will take place at La Tentation (rue de Laeken 28, 1000 Brussels) and the Planetarium (Boechoutlaan 10, 1020 Brussels – near Heysel)

Item source: IP/06/1195 Date: 15/09/2006