Saturday, July 12
SCIENCE AT THE TRAMOND OF THE SHORT CENTURY
Coordinator: Prof. MAURO CERUTI, UNIVERSITY OF BERGAMO
Introductory report:
Dr. MARTIN BAUER
Reader in Social Psychology and Research Methodology, London School of Economics
"The evolution of public understanding of science"
speakers:
ALISON ABBOTT, JOHN BARROW, PAOLO FABBRI, PAOLO ROSSI

with a meeting entitled "Science in the twilight of the short century" coordinated by Hon. Prof. Mauro Ceruti, University of Bergamo - Spoletoscienza 2008 will make a sociological, anthropological, scientific reconnaissance of the state of public understanding of the facts of science: a comparison between the current perception, often very "worried", and the image that one had of its practices in 1989, to a step away from the closing of Hobsbawm's short century. Opening the proceedings will be the long-awaited and prestigious talk by one of the world's leading experts on the so-called "public understanding of science," Dr. Martin Bauer, Reader in Social Psychology and Research Methodology at the London School of Economics.
How did the various and successive technosciences emerging after World War II become the subject of social criticism? What were the salient themes in the public discussion of technosciences and what metaphors conveyed their meaning? How did the idea that scientific discoveries and innovations are inherently risky come about and through what processes did the idea take root in public perception? What role has the sociological debate on the role of communication played in improving communication strategies? What has changed and what is changing in the philosophy of the public understanding of science?
Constructive and suggestively dense counterbalance to Bauer's talk will be the table of guests who will discuss it with him: from historian of science Paolo Rossi - "Politics, " to semiotician Paolo Fabbri - "The Language" through the ever-present role of the media with Alison Abbott of the journal Nature (U.K.) - "Journalism," to one of the best known among astrophysicists and popularizers of science, Englishman John Barrow, author of the very recent book on images of science " Cosmic Imagery" which will also be presented to the public to Spoleto.

Sunday, 13
SCIENCE AT THE Dawn OF THE NEW ORDER
Coordinator: Prof. GILBERTO CORBELLINI, UNIVERSITY "LA SAPIENZA" ROME

Introductory Report: Prof. KÀRI STEFÀNSSON
Chairman and CEO DeCode Genetics Inc., Reykjavík Iceland
"Knowing your genome? The impact of genomics on everyday life."

speakers:
EDOARDO BONCINELLI, DANIELE CUSI, STEFANO RODOTÀ

Concluding remarks:
PIETRO CORSI
"The Relationship between Science and Society.
From the Fall of the Wall to the Mapping of the Human Genome."

with the almost sci-fi title "Science at the Dawn of the New Order" coordinated by Prof. Gilberto Corbellini, University "La Sapienza" Rome - Spoletoscienza will point straight to the future, attempting to get ahead of the times and describing the possible impacts, the possible consequences of the advent of genomics in our daily doing. More in detail, a major player in these reflections and applications of new science, geneticist Prof. Kari Stefànsson, Chairman and CEO of DeCode Genetics Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland-the man who reads the DNA of his Icelandic compatriots, and who with his talk "Knowing your genome? The Impact of Genomics on Everyday Life," will help the audience to gain greater awareness and critical judgment toward the latest and surprising acquisitions that modern life science brings to our attention. On this second and concluding day, to discussing with Stefànsonn will be geneticist Edoardo Boncinelli who will speak on the topic of "Research" the clinician and also a geneticist Daniele Cusi-"The Clinic" and the well-known jurist Stefano Rodotà-"The Law." The concluding remarks, finally, will be left to the historian of Science, Pietro Corsi who will speak on "The Relationship between Science and Society. From the Fall of the Wall to the Mapping of the Human Genome."

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