RICCI CURBASTRO:
"GEOMETRIES OF A GENIUS"
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Two
days of celebrations on the occasion of the centenary of the death of
Gregorio Ricci Curbastro, a figure to whom the building of the
Department of Physics and Astronomy, formerly known as Paolotti, will be
dedicated.
"The Geometries of a Genius" is the title that
brings together both days: on October 27 at 2:30 PM at Palazzo Bo and on
November 3 at 2:30 PM at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, where
the plaque unveiling ceremony will also take place in the
presence of authorities. Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro was an illustrious
mathematician and a figure of great importance for the city of Padua,
both from an academic and civic point of view.
MODELLI: an international and inclusive exhibition
Since October, the exhibition "Models. Knowledge in Three Dimension" at the Poleni Museum presents an absolute novelty, as it becomes:
International: the exhibition panels are now available in 8 different languages
Inclusive: videos in Italian Sign Language (LIS), audio descriptions for blind and visually impaired people, a guide in easy-to-read and understand language, captions in AAC
COLLOQUIA DFA 2025/26: Nine meetings to look beyond
This academic year, from October 2025 to May 2026, the Department of Physics and Astronomy organizes the DFA Colloquia, a series of monthly seminars addressing multiple research topics across various fields of knowledge. The colloquia, which are conducted in English, are open to the general public and especially aimed at people who are curious about the latest research in physics and astronomy.
NOBEL VS IGNOBEL
Nobel Prize in Physics 2025: comments from the DFA
Caterina Braggio highlights the activities of the Department of Physics and Astronomy that fit within
the context of the awarded research.
The scientific Cacio e Pepe recipe wins the IgNobel Prize
A study on a scientific recipe for cacio e pepe pasta, conducted by some of DFA researchers has won the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in Physics. Beyond the gastronomic appeal, however, lies an important result: understanding phase separation in liquids, a phenomenon that can accelerate certain chemical reactions related to the origin of life and, at the same time, could help explain and prevent the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease.
RESEARCH
UNIPD DEVELOPS NEW MODEL TO UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE
Understanding the origin of the Universe is not just a philosophical pursuit. It helps us answer fundamental questions about who we are and where everything comes from. This new proposal offers a simple yet powerful framework. It delivers clear predictions that can be confirmed or ruled out by future observations—such as the measurement of the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves and statistical studies of cosmic structure.
NEW ANTIBODY THERAPY SLOWS GLIOBLASTOMA PROGRESSION AND REDUCES TUMOR-INDUCED BRAIN HYPERACTIVITY
This is the first time an antibody therapy has been shown to simultaneously control glioblastoma growth and dampen tumor-induced brain overactivity. It opens the door to a new therapeutic strategy that targets not only the cancer cells themselves but also their harmful interactions with the surrounding brain tissue.
JAZZ IN DFA!
One of the concerts of the Padova Jazz Festival will be held in the classrooms of our department!
This
year we will have the honor of listening to Matteo Paggi's "Giraffe"
concert. Saturday, November 15th at 9:00 PM in Aula Rostagni, entrance
from via Paolotti, 9 - Padova
Special student price: 5 euros!
GLI ULTIMI EVENTI
COMET LABORATORY INAGURATED
COATING MATERIALS FOR EINSTEIN TELESCOPE
The CoMET laboratory was inaugurated in Rovigo in the presence of the Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini, the Rector of the University of Padua, Daniela Mapelli, and the member of the executive board of INFN, Marco Pallavicini. It has been funded with 3 million euros from PNRR funds: coatings for the mirrors, that will be used in the new large gravitational wave detector Einstein Telescope, will be developed here.
ON THE TRAIL F ASTEROIDS
On the occasion of Asteroid Day, Radio3 Scienza interviewed Monica Lazzarin, a professor from our department. The interview also discusses the Ramses mission, which will encounter the asteroid Apophis in 2029 during its extraordinary close encounter with Earth (31,000 km), and for which Lazzarin is the Principal Investigator. Here's the link to listen to the interview!
SCIENZE4ALL2025
This year too, the escape rooms, literary cafés, and gazebo activities proposed by the researchers of the DFA have been a huge success.