Did you like the Netflix series about aliens, “3 Body Problems”? And aren’t you curious to understand if the science depicted in the films is based on solid foundations or if it is just the fruit of the authors’ imagination? If you have these and other curiosities, then you can’t miss the meeting on April 30th at the San Francesco al Prato auditorium, where, starting at 5.30 pm, a debate entitled “The science of 3 body problems” will be held.
The event was born as part of the Vitality project, an ambitious initiative that brings together various public and private entities, including the universities of Perugia and the Umbria region, and which aims to create two innovation hubs, one in the Nocera Umbra area, at the former Merloni factory, and the other in the municipality of Terni at the chemical hub.
Among the aims of Vitality there is also dissemination, which is why it promotes meetings and debates on scientific topics, linked, in particular, to advanced materials. In the months to come, therefore, Perugia will be the setting for many events, some of which will still come to life in San Francesco al Prato.
Next Tuesday’s afternoon will be animated by science communicator Massimiliano Trevisan, who will have the not easy task of moderating the debate between three “big shots” from the University of Perugia: the nanomaterials physicist, Luca Gammaitoni, physics of particles, Valentina Mariani and the theoretical physicist, Simone Pacetti. The three will give life to a chat that will take inspiration from the series to address the scientific contents of “3 body problem” in a simple and understandable way for a non-expert audience.
Gammaitoni, who is also the scientific director of the Vitality project, comments on the initiative as follows: «The Netflix series is achieving great success, in Italy and beyond. It has a varied audience, made up, yes, of science enthusiasts, but also of people intrigued by the theme of aliens, often covered in science fiction fiction. We asked ourselves, then, if it wouldn’t be interesting to involve the public in a debate where we could address the scientific themes present in the plot of “3 body problem” and where we could answer some of the questions that emerged in the series, such as the role of nanomaterials and the nanofibers that scare the alien protagonists of the film so much.”
In the press release presenting the initiative we read: ‘Scientific topics such as the stability of the solar system, the role of nanomaterials, the existence of alien species, the phenomenon of quantum entanglement and interstellar travel, will be discussed through constant dialogue with the public’.
The event on April 30th is free and open to anyone who wants to participate. To promote the initiative, those at Vitality have also created a short film which you can see at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1160204872013247
