Asimov Prize 2024

The Asimov Prize is an award for particularly meritorious works of popular science and scientific non-fiction written in the year preceding the competition. Thousands of Italian students take part in the competition, casting their votes and evaluating the authors’ books to determine who receives the prize.

The aim of the Asimov Prize is to introduce the younger generations to scientific culture through the evaluation and critical reading of books selected by a national jury. It was established by the physicist Francesco Vissani, who was inspired by similar initiatives by the Royal Society. The prize was originally established by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in L’Aquila, but thanks to the collaboration with the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and many other scientific organisations, it is now a nationwide prize.

The prize is named after the writer Isaac Asimov, who wrote an impressive number of popular science works as well as several novels and short stories. Students’ reading, analysis and review of the competition entries can be recognised by the organising institutions and participating schools through the award of an educational certificate.

ECT* research staff (S. Taioli) are members of the Asimov Prize Scientific Committee, which selects the books to be read and evaluated by the students and also assesses the students’ reviews.

Link to the website of the Asimov Prize