giovedì 25 novembre 2010

Scientific Research and Riots

In these days teachers, students, researchers and scientists are demonstrating in Italy with many manifestations which in some occasions involved clashes and riots with police. Yesterday some clashes happened in front of the Senate.

Unfortunately, in a country suffering a strict political control over information, these public manifestations remain the sole tool to make the voice of italian scientific researc aloud.

Italian scientific knowledge is trying to oppose to that Italy made of different kinds of knowledge. This distinction is particularly important in Italy because there are in fact different types of knowledge: in particular Italy is presently suffering the perverse effects of that knowledge made of privileged political relations which are choking all the rest.

When public education and scientific research are pushed to an end deprived of investments and resources in favour of private entities or different sectors (such as the military one and his mission abroad) it means that strange affaires are made on the people skin. We cannot pay the bill of political corruption and the everyday waste of an enormous amount of public resources cutting investments on education and research. Yes, because any coin used for education and research is an investment, not a cost.

Science has not an economic value per sé: maybe the development of some scientific findings may have some economic value. But when education and research can be adequately fostered, the society as a whole can live a real progress. This is the main factor differentiating Italy to many other european countries where education and research are properly considered. And this difference is rather evident. Degrade in education and research are always accompanied by a degrade in ethics and in the public life. Ignorance becomes total. Apathy and lack of awareness are widespread. But in Italy the central focus is TV (and the interests of its owner) rather than science.

Finally, democracy and civil participation are really at stake. It is a problem of civil progress rather than economic returns...

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