The institutes and centres of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) located on and around the Cantoblanco Campus are joining forces once again to celebrate the European Researchers’ Night.
On Friday 26 September, a major event has been organised, free and open to the public, to bring the science carried out at these centres closer to society. There will be workshops, scientific demonstrations, a talent show and an exhibition covering a range of research topics.
ICMAT is taking part with two experimental workshops, one on the physical and mathematical laws that describe phenomena related to fluids, and another on mathematics and electronic music.
ICMAT participants: Andrés Laín Sanclemente, José Antonio Lucas and Carlos García Meixide, predoctoral researchers at ICMAT.
Date: 26 September 2025.
Schedule:
- 11:00 – 13:30. For school groups.
- 16:00 – 20:00. For the general public.
Venue: Espacio Fundación Telefónica (Calle de Fuencarral, 3, 28004 Madrid, Spain)
ICMAT Workshops
“Mathematics in motion: a glimpse into the world of fluids”
Presenters: Andrés Laín Sanclemente and José Antonio Lucas, predoctoral researchers at ICMAT.
Time: 16:00 to 20:00
Audience: General public
This workshop will offer surprising and hands-on demonstrations of fluid-related phenomena. It will also explain the physical and mathematical laws underlying these phenomena, how mathematics helps us understand surprising aspects of the physical world, introduce basic fluid modelling concepts, and present laws that govern fluid behaviour.
“The mathematics of electronic music”
Presenter: Carlos García Meixide, predoctoral researcher at ICMAT.
Time: Three sessions: 18:10, 18:45 and 19:20.
Audience: General public
In this interactive workshop, participants will discover how ideas from functional analysis, statistics and group theory explain the basic elements of electronic music. Cyclical rhythms follow mathematical symmetries, sound filters act as linear operators in infinite-dimensional spaces, and sparse structures — seemingly complex but inherently simple — enable the creation of vibrant tracks. Attendees will have the chance to mix sounds using digital controllers to see how these mathematical concepts come to life in music, and to experience how small changes in a signal can completely alter rhythm and atmosphere. Come and mix mathematics with sound!
CSIC is calling you tonight
Morning activities: science fair for primary, secondary, sixth form and vocational training students
Throughout the morning, we will hold a large science fair with dedicated areas for primary and secondary students. The programme includes our popular ‘Science Trolley’, an exploration of the secrets of glass and ceramics, a look at superconductivity, experiments with catalysts, hydrogen cells and the periodic table, and a hands-on demonstration of the antioxidant power of fruit.
Of course, our Escape Road: in search of Nobel and non-Nobel women scientists will not be missing. In this fun challenge, students will play while learning the names, achievements and stories of great women scientists from around the world.
This year, for the first time, secondary students will attend a live recording of an episode of the podcast Ciencia para Leer, hosted by Carmen Guerrero of CSIC’s Vice-Presidency for Scientific Culture and Citizen Science.
Bookings will open on 15 September at 9:00 via this link. There will be 80 places for primary and 130 for secondary students.
Afternoon activities: exclusive workshops, science fair and ‘science talent show’ for all audiences
At 16:00, we open the doors of Espacio Fundación Telefónica and invite you to collect your SCIENCE PASSPORT, which this year highlights the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025 (IYQ 2025). At the entrance, you’ll receive a passport that you’ll complete by visiting all the centres participating in the event: for each activity, you’ll get a sticker to place in your passport (in any order) and receive a gift at the end.
There will be…
- A science fair with scientific demonstrations covering nearly every field of knowledge
- Closed-door workshops exploring diverse topics: biology, mathematics, physics and even children’s storytelling
- Talent show: if 2024’s stand-up contest had you laughing, this year we’re going even bigger with a talent competition featuring humour and art in many forms. Two shows will be held: one at 17:15 and another at 18:30
- Concert: we’ll close the event with a concert by Las Biolocas, performing biological-themed versions of classic hits
Full programme: coming soon
About us
This event is organised by the following CSIC institutes and centres based in and around the Cantoblanco Campus (Madrid): Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM) (coordinator), Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP), National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Institute for Research in Food Science (CIAL), Institute of Ceramics and Glass (ICV), Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT), Institute of Micro and Nanotechnology (IMN), Centre for Molecular Biology (CBM), and the Sols-Morreale Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBM).
NIGHTMADRID is a science outreach project coordinated by the madri+d Foundation and funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant agreement no. 101.162.110.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (EREA). Neither the European Union nor EREA can be held responsible for them.