The second Festival of Sciences kicked off in the Italian capital on Monday and this year focuses on 'The Age of Life'.
Over 60 scientists and philosophers are taking part in over 80 events including debate, conferences, exhibitions, demonstrations, concerts and performances at Rome's new Music Park.
A special area for children has been created with multimedia presentations divided according to age.
Events and discussions at this year's festival, which wraps up January 21, explore the cycle of life from birth until death, from what organizers defined as "the creativity of infancy to the freedom of old age".
Emphasis will be placed on the study of infancy, the development of the mind, the development of the spoken word, the analogies between evolution and development, sexuality, death and the desire for immortality.
This year's festival was inaugurated by Italian Nobel laureate Rita Levi Montalcini who told participants to reject attacks against science and scientific knowledge.
"We must refuse any attack on science because this would also be an attack on mankind," she said.
"It is not true that science is agnostic because science is the search for truth and this is already an ethical principle," the Nobel laureate for medicine added.
Others taking part in this year's festival include primatologist Elisabetta Visalberghi, chemist Gianfranco Pacchioni, biologist and geneticist Edoardo Boncinelli and astronaut Umberto Guidoni.
