How our brain works, which way we take for thinking. These are some of the questions to be answered in the activities included this year in the XII Scientific Week of the University, which starts today, 12 November, and will last until next Friday. Around 12,500 students and lecturers from educational centres of the region will take part in any of these activities for scientific dissemination that, throughout this week, will bring children and grownups closer to some of the secrets of neuroscience and also the use of renewable energies.

The Rector of the University of Oviedo, Vicente Gotor, and the General Director of Universities of the Principality of Asturias, Miriam Cueto, have officially opened this morning the twelfth edition of the Scientific Week, backed by the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).

The programme of activities includes workshops, lectures and exhibitions and this year incorporates the theatre as a didactic and entertaining resource for children. On 15, 16 and 17 November, the Severo Ochoa Classroom in the Historic Building, will host the performance of Luces, cámara y acción. Neuronas a escena (Lights, Camera, Action: Neurons on Stage), which will lead children to the inside of the human brain. The performance begins at 18 pm and the entrance is free until full capacity.

The Scientific Culture Unit of the University of Oviedo, backed by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research and Campus of International Excellence, has designed a multi-disciplinary programme for disseminating the researcher's work and bring their findings closer to youngsters in a practical, pleasant way. Some of the activities that will be developed during the week are:

• Ciencia apasionante (Exciting Science). Educational visits to Departments and Scientific and Technical Services for secondary students. Almost 3,000 secondary and high-school students will visit on these days the Building of Scientific and Technical Services Severo Ochoa for participating in one of the fields related to genomes, nanotechnology, IT or the presence of science in the cinema.
• Día de la Ciencia (Science Day). 50 researchers at the University of Oviedo, from all areas of knowledge, will give 177 lectures in 71 educational centres of the Principality of Asturias.
• Mostrando la Ciencia. Galería de Premios Nobel (Showing Science. Gallery of Nobel Prize Winners ) It is an inititative by the University of Oviedo, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FECYT. It has been organized in collaboration with El Corte Inglés as part of "The year of Neuroscience in Spain".
• Cámara, luces y acción: ¡Neuronas a Escena! (Lights, Camera, Action: Neurons on Stage!): it is a performance with a neuron, a red corpuscle and a scholar which will lead us to the inner part of the brain. It counts with the performance of researchers from the insitution and actors of the Theatre Group of the University of Oviedo (GTUO).
• Una puerta abierta a la Ciencia (A door open to Science).Open day at the Severo Ochoa Building at the Campus of El Cristo, targeting a wide range of the population and aiming to share the passion for research and arouse the youngsters' interest in science, technology and research.
• Enseñando la Ciencia (Teaching Science). Workshops seeking the participation of teaching staff and adults.
• Pensando en la Ciencia (Thinking in Science) . Round tables and lectures on controversial issues and/ or those of general interest.