We are all invited to enjoy "An Italian Month of Science"

In 2013, the Year of the Italian Culture in the United States, the relations between the two countries in the field of science and technology are among the most covered with a series of events taking place throughout North America.

 

In particular, the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy and in collaboration with ISSNAF (Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation) will dedicate the entire month of September to the second edition of the initiative “An Italian Month of Science”, with a grand opening on Wednesday 4 at 6:30 pm.

 

Last year, the Italian contribution to scientific innovation was highlighted through the exhibit “150 years: The Italian Genio”, as well as seminars featuring both prominent experts and young researchers working in different fields – mainly medicine -, with a special tribute to the memory of Nobel Prize virologist Renato Dulbecco.

 

On the contrary, this year’s program will focus on robotics and biotechnology, including an interactive exhibition – promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and hosted by the Italian Cultural Institutes in Tokyo and San Francisco last spring – which will allow the visitors to experience first-hand a selection of the most significant and groundbreaking achievements by Italian scientists. Among them, the first prototype of the iCub, an absolutely impressive humanoid robot, developed by the Italian Institute of Technology as part of the EU project RobotCub, to be also presented to the public at USC School of Engineering and Caltech respectively on September 19 and 20.

 

This fascinating journey into science at the IIC will start with the screening of the documentary “Italy of the Future” by paleontologist Alberto Angela, followed by the opening of the exhibition introduced by Filippo Sozzi from CNR (Italian National Research Council).

 

In addition, a panel discussion concerning “The Impact of New Technologies on our daily life” will also take place with the participation of representatives of ISSNAF and Cynvenio Biosystems Inc. – a research company working on cancer treatment -, as well as of professors from the USC and UCLA. On this occasion, the Italian share in terms of inventions and discoveries to meet the new challenges of contemporary living and working environments will be underlined.

 

Science lovers will have other interesting appointments ahead, such as the “ISSNAF Conference on Robotics and on Economic and Social Development” on September 18, and the screening “Aerospace R&D – The Italian Factor” on the 25.

 

All of them – together with similar events organized by the Italian Institutions in Washington, New York, Chicago, and many other US cities throughout 2013 – aim not only at presenting the role Italy still plays in this field of knowledge at international level, but also at reaffirming and strengthening the collaboration with the United States.

 

As Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero recalled in one of his speeches a few months ago, thanks to the cooperation with the USA the Italian satellite “San Marco 1” was among the first to be sent into orbit from the US base of Wallops Flight in Virginia on December 15, 1964. And today, by entering a new agreement to work together on space research projects, these two countries can still pave the way to create crucial opportunities of scientific and economic development.