Cagliari FestivalScienza 2023

Robots and computers increasingly occupy the space of our daily lives. They are "intelligent" synthetic agents, precious collaborators, some of whom have become almost friends and perhaps a little relatives. However, suspicion is around the corner, because the myth of the creature that escapes and rebels against its creator is one of the oldest projections of our culture. From the question “will robots inherit the earth?” this journey begins in the company of artificial creatures that we gradually learn to listen to and get to know, talking about their possible ambitions and hopes. Which are also ours, if we know how to use them responsibly.

In this chat we will consider some aspects covered in the book: the birth of mathematics with Pythagoras and his wonder in discovering the links with music; the difficult relationships between mathematics and religion (the killing of Hypatia, the trial of Galileo); mathematics and Dante; the third scientific revolution started by three great mathematicians: Von Neumann, Turing and Shannon. How will mathematics influence the society of the future?

The origin of the cosmos has always intrigued the human mind, but never before has humanity been so close to understanding the first phases of the universe. The story of how we came to deduce the existence of the Big Bang and understand how it works is one of the most extraordinary adventures told by science.

All the organs of the body have a talent and that of the brain is plasticity, or the ability to modify itself and repair itself. Knowing it can therefore help us slow down cognitive decline and preserve the health of the body. How? By adopting the right strategies, such as those aimed at reducing neuroinflammation, the cause of premature aging and pathologies such as depression, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. From nutrition to relaxation, from sleep to movement, we learn what allows the gray matter to remain efficient and clear for as long as possible.

The book is a long journey to explore the historical roots of the growing distrust in science, which emerged clearly in the years of Covid-19. The main culprit is "Power" and the use it has made of scientific research.

The great story of the universe from the Big Bang to us, seen from the perspective of a proton named Prime. Our hero, in love with her Priscilla, loses her at the beginning of time and sets off in search of her. An opportunity to remind ourselves that we are all part of the immense cosmic history.

The climate of 2050 depends on today's choices. By this date, the average global temperature will have exceeded the threshold of 1.5 degrees higher than in the second half of the nineteenth century. What consequences await us?

It is that tiny dot at the center of the atom that explains the energy of the Sun, produced by nuclear fusion, radioactive phenomena, the origin and transformation of the elements, the very existence of carbon, the basis of organic molecules and therefore of life , nuclear fission and much more.

We are born to believe, but we soon learn to lie. The neurological substrate is complex, because the lie does not emerge spontaneously like the truth, but requires at least three components: the inhibition of the true response; the shift from the true answer to the false one; maintaining the response in memory. So what are, in neurological and functional terms, the mechanisms that allow us to contradict the principle of truth, either consciously or as a result of brain damage? And is there a connection between them and the popularity of fake news?

Books, magazines and general information have accustomed us to considering food as a sum of nutrients regardless of the place and cultivation/breeding techniques. These two elements are strongly characterizing because they determine the quantity and quality of the authorized chemicals (herbicides, biostimulants, drugs, pesticides) as well as the methods of transport (sterilizers on foodstuffs). They are all elements present in the product we consume and which we consequently ingest. The cocktail effect is currently ignored in scientific research but contributes to the onset of intestinal and other symptoms and disorders.