by Gloria Peruzzi
One of the sold-out performances from the Petrarca Theater is that tonight, at 9 p.m., it will welcome Giorgio Baresi, 2021 Nobel Prize Laureate for Physics, Full Professor of Theoretical Physics at La Sapienza University in Rome, to present the book Never Ending Steps. Everyday Life on Nobel Prize”, co-written with Bergorgio Baterlini. The highlight is the Arezzo Science Lab, a festival organized by the Guido D’Arezzo Foundation and the Laboratory of the Cultural Association and Feltrinelli Point.
“I already have a piece of Arezzo in my living room. It is a phonograph from a hundred years ago. I bought it when I came, and on that occasion I also made a wonderful visit to The Legend of the True Cross.”
Parisi, your friends since the university realized you were going to win a Nobel Prize. When did you start to believe that?
“At about the age of forty, when some of my studies, those of spin-glasses or complexity theory, were gaining more and more weight in the sciences. Then I felt there was a tangible possibility of winning them.”
Was the “Paris” asteroid a surprise?
“Something I didn’t think possible. It’s going to carry my name for a long time, it’s beautiful.”
What is the importance of festivals in spreading scientific communication?
“It helps spread confidence in science. It’s so important, it involves a large audience on scientific topics told in a way that’s accessible to everyone.”
However, it is unfortunate that many young Italian scholars were forced to leave Italy.
“We have not only a problem of retaining scientists, but a problem of retaining many young Italians in general. There is a very strong drain of highly qualified people from Italy.” What can we do?
“Investing in youth. One of our biggest problems is the unstable situation that does not allow for a permanent job at a reasonable age. It is necessary to intervene in unemployment based on a serious discussion about reducing working hours.”
Can science help us avoid the tragedies of today?
“No doubt. Scientists make estimates and explain scenarios and solutions in detail.”
For example?
“The first thing is to make the territory safe immediately. We need sinks and sewers that run into the water if necessary. Seriously intervene in prevention. Then, in the long term, we need to provide measures for climate change and energy savings through simple interventions such as double glazing in windows, Insulating panels on the walls of the houses and switching to renewable energy. I don’t understand why the rooftops are not filled with photovoltaic panels with all our sunshine.”
Are there more opportunities or risks for generative AI?
“I am optimistic. I don’t think it will change our lives greatly, but the development that will happen in 10 or 20 years will be very different from today. Today we have to seize opportunities by regulating their uses.”
Will he become smarter than us humans?
“I don’t see the problem. We are very different from machines. They don’t have the ability to interact with the outside world that we have. I don’t think it will happen in the short term. Of course, there they are already better at chess!”.
One of his interests is writing fiction. Do you still do that?
“I just wrote one for my nephew Martino, but I’m not going very far in that direction.”
“Infuriatingly humble social media buff. Twitter advocate. Writer. Internet nerd.”
