A Christmas Tale of Gravity

Vitor Cardoso performing Galileo’s falling bodies experiment with a group of children. — Vítor performing Galileo’s falling bodies experiment with a group of children. Photo by Ciência Viva.

It was a testimony to the power of science that more than 400 people of all ages filled the main auditorium of Teatro Aberto to listen to Vítor Cardoso talk about black holes and gravitational waves. The occasion was the hugely popular Christmas Conference organized every year by Ciência Viva (Portugal’s National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture), which were, in turn, inspired by the legendary British Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures. From the very start, the atmosphere in the room was electric, and the audience remained visibly engaged throughout the lecture.

One special moment happened early on when Vitor asked for volunteers to take part in Galileo’s falling bodies experiment, and there was a run for the stage by a group of excited children. Another highlight of the evening was the reenactment of a space mission to the center of a black hole by a group of actors, which drew loud applause from the audience.

Reenactment of a mission to the center of a black hole — Irina Pinheiro reenacting a space mission to the center of a black hole. Photo by Ciência Viva.

The end of the lecture brought many questions from the audience and saw Vitor challenged by many young science enthusiasts who asked the most difficult questions. The night ended with gingerbread cookies, hot chocolate, followed by the signing of the book “Assim Nasce uma Ideia” (“The Birth of an Idea”) by Vítor and Ana Carvalho

Dec. 20, 2025, 11:37 a.m.