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Community of curious minds

The 100th AYSS seminar at the JINR Scientists' Club was a sellout. 120 people registered, yet 160 participated. There weren't enough seats and attendees stood in the hallway for two hours. Both the speaker's informative overview of accelerator technology and the event's popularity contributed to the success of the event. It's time to tell you more about it.

The first seminar was held on 19 May, 2022. The main goal of the new initiative is to share global scientific news, the achievements of the Institute's research groups and to establish contacts between researchers from different laboratories. It might seem like nothing out of the ordinary. But there is a difference. AYSS seminars are held in an informal setting, similar to Fermilab's Wine and Cheese seminars, offering opportunities for discussion and questions. Scientists are not the only invited speakers. There have been seminars on the organization of scientific research at JINR, scientific journals, the work of the Press Office, as well as other JINR and city structures.

The initiators of these useful and enjoyable evenings are Alexander Verkheev and Lyudmila Kolupaeva. The new format immediately attracted participants; today, on Wednesdays, about 30-40 people gather at the Institute, a convenient number that allows everyone to speak without overwhelming the lecturer with questions. Since the seminars are aimed for a general audience, they are attended by more than just Institute employees. The organizers have received this response in the comments: "Elisey is a sixth-grader at Gymnasium No.3 and attends the seminars with interest. Listening to and seeing Grigory Trubnikov was a rare opportunity! Thank you!"

Here are the first statistics: since 19 May to the end of 2022, 18 reports have been given on various topics, from social science to purely fundamental research, across the entire spectrum of the Institute's scientific research. About 755 people have attended, nearly 300 questions have been asked, 695 cups of coffee have been consumed. A. Pikelner's seminar attracted the largest number of listeners, while I. Zinkovskaya's report was considered the most memorable. These figures are confirmed every year.

During this time, Chairs of the Organizing Committee and the moderators have changed: Lyudmila Kolupaeva and Varvara Maslova are replaced by Maria Mardyban and Dina Badreeva.

"It's worth stating that while Chairs of the Organizing Committee are primarily visible, the entire Organizing Committee is involved in the seminars, with a staff member from each laboratory, or about ten people," Lyudmila Kolupaeva explains. "Everyone makes a significant contribution: from organizational matters to finding and inviting speakers. They all deserve our gratitude."

Regarding the key topics for the established audience, Maria Mardyban explained, "Of course, we see genuine interest in biology and space. Now, we want to expand on these topics. Last year, we invited a phlebologist and it turned out that health topics were of interest to many, so we will invite an endocrinologist next year. In general, we try to focus on scientific topics and the speakers prepare their reports within the context of their scientific interests."

The organizers acknowledge the assistance and support provided by JINR Directorate and the Scientists' Club that provided not only the space but also the equipment for recording the reports. As a reminder, ideas for inviting specialists can be sent to mmardyban@mail.ru.

Galina MYALKOVSKAYA