Read our school visit diaries!
13 February and 25 March 2009
"Ettore Majorana" and "Leon Battista Alberti" high schools, Naples, Italy
Anna Cimmino
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On the 13th of February and 25th of March 2009, I visited the "E. Majorana" high school in Monterusciello, in the province of Naples and the "L. B. Alberti" high school in the center of Naples, respectively. As for my previous experiences as a SET-Routes School Ambassador, these visits were aimed to encourage senior students of this school to consider studies and carriers in scientific fields. The message was directed particularly to girls and young women, stimulating them to believe in their ambitions.
At the beginning of this year I realized that everyone had heard of antimatter, read a book about its terribly destructive powers and remembered how wonderfully it served as propellant in Star Treck. But only very few know what it really is, what its properties are and how it is used in everyday activities. Therefore, I decided to prepare a one-hour presentation on antimatter for a selected group of students of these two schools.
My seminar started with a brief introduction on matter (one can't understand antimatter without it). Then I took the students through the different steps that led to the discovery of antimatter, its first production and storage in laboratories all over the word. I also showed them how it is used for medical purposes and NOT to make bombs.
About 150 students and 20 professors attended my seminars. All students responded positively and a question/answer session took place and lasted as long as the presentation itself.
I do hope that, when reading their next scientific fiction book, they'll be now able to distinguish between science and fantasy.