The 2026 edition of “Science is Wonderful!”, the flagship science fair organized by the European Commission, took place in Brussels from 18 to 20 March. The event, which this year also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), transformed cutting-edge research into an interactive experience for over 4,200 students from across Europe who had the opportunity to sketch new inventions and interact with researchers to discover how science improves our daily lives.

The University of Siena was a key participant with Roberta Marziani, an MSCA researcher from the Department of Information Engineering and Mathematics (DIISM), who presented her project “TopSing”.

At her booth, children explored the complexity of geometry through the use of soap bubbles. The project focused on the “Plateau’s Problem”, which involves finding the surface of minimal area that spans a given boundary in space. As abstract as this sounds, there is a simple way to present it through through these interactive demonstrations: by placing a metal frame into soapy water, the soap bubble that forms will naturally occupy the minimal possible surface.

This physical principle has significant real-world applications in several fields. It can help in the design of more efficient electronics, where wires must be as short as possible, and it provides essential calculations for architects working to optimize the design of roof structures.

By bridging the gap between abstract concepts and interactive experiments, the initiative aimed to counter the trend of declining interest in STEM subjects. Marziani’s participation highlighted how engaging with young students can help draw them towards mathematics at a time when test scores and interest are decreasing across Europe.

The project demonstrated that mathematics can be made much more appealing to the next generation, showing that science is not an isolated “ivory tower” but a collaborative effort to improve our future.

For the full report on the event, please read the article on Horizon Magazine: Brussels’ EU Science is Wonderful! 2026 – Horizon Magazine