The Scienza e Virgola festival celebrates 10 years in Trieste

In comparison, in the event created for the scientific care of Nico Pitrelli, there will be over 90 Italian and international voices from research, literature and scientific dissemination: 4 days and 41 public events – in addition to 20 events reserved for schools and city communities such as the prison, the RSA and the hospital – with the aim of explaining the science and the stories that arise from his investigation.

The human as a space of research and shared experience, starting from that of “cure”: on this common thread the dialogue of the opening evening, Thursday 7 May, between the artistic director Paolo Giordano and the journalist and author Concita De Gregorio who will present her new book, “La cura” (Einaudi), as an Italian preview. The other great dialogues conducted by Paolo Giordano will range from the “New (dis)order of the world”, with the director of the Post Francesco Costa, to the stories of women, feelings and violence with the Franco-Mauritian author Nathacha Appanah, who also publishes the bestseller “The night in the heart” in Italy (in bookshops from 21 April). And from the journey into the experience of mental disorders with Alcide Pierantozzi and his book “Lo sbilico”, to the focus on Family, politics, human relations with the Strega Prize winner Andrea Bajani and the founder of the Social Brain Institute Samah Karaki, author of the enlightening essay “Empathy is politics” (released in recent days for add).

The great party for the tenth anniversary of Scienza e Comma will also offer a meeting with the Canadian researcher and poet Madhur Anand who will talk about the relationship between science and poetry and will also celebrate the figure of the great Pakistani physicist Nobel Prize winner Abdus Salam, founder and long-time director of the International Center for Theoretical Physics of Trieste. Science in comics will also be at the festival with the exceptional participation of Francesco Tullio Altan and his Pimpa. And we will also talk about science in a geopolitical key, between drones and new forms of power: journalists Gianluca Di Feo and Tonia Mastrobuoni will talk about it in Trieste. We will investigate the humanity that made us biologically what we are with the British scientist Lewis Dartnell, author of a bestselling reflection, “Being Human”.

The preview of Scienza e Comma, on Friday 17 April, will be in the name of mathematics with the Oxford academic Marcus du Sautoy, and a reflection on energy between science and society will be entrusted to the well-known physicist Roberto Battiston. A space of memory for the researcher Giulio Regeni, in the name of the freedom of science, will open with the documentary dedicated to him: his parents and the lawyer Alessandra Ballerini will participate in the screening. Also arriving at the festival are Andrea Moro, Benedetta Tobagi, Luca De Biase, Daniela Minerva, Elio Giamello, Willy Guasti, Roberta Biagiarelli, Mario Colucci, Francesco Adami, Tommaso Cinquemani, Beatrice Mautino, Daniela Tommasini, Martina Benedetti, Cinzia Pozzi, Paola Bonfante, Marco Ferrari, Paolo Ajmone Marsan, Lisa Ginzburg and Gloria Origgi. Info and programscienzaevirgola.it

The 10th edition of Scienza e Virgola sees the Agorai-Innovation hub as main partner and the Antico Caffè e Libreria San Marco and the Teatro Miela Bonawentura as project partners. Scienza e Virgola 2026 is made possible thanks to the contribution of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the CRTrieste Foundation, the Pietro Pittini Foundation, Sissa Medialab, Educating Future Citizens, and thanks to the support of ICTP-Centro Internazionale di Fisica Theoretica Abdus Salam and festival Vino/Lontano. Media partners: Rai FVG, Rai-Radio 3 and Nord Est Multimedia.