Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Editorials

Mar 21, 2002 Editorial
Communicating in the post-academic era of science

by Pietro Greco

It is often said that a new era is beginning, one that is founded on knowledge, thus envisaging a new society, founded on information. Meanwhile, technological innovation already characterises our daily lives and our vision of the world: no past generation saw their surroundings change so quickly and deeply as we do.

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Articles

Mar 21, 2002 Article
Labanotation: a universal movement notation language

by Silvana Barbacci

This paper describes how a universal language for notating dance and, more generally, movement was elaborated, known as "Kinetography Laban", or rather "Labanotation". It was devised by choreographer and movement theorist Rudolf von Laban, who outlined it for the first time in 1928, in the journal Schrifttanz. His system differs from precedent notation systems in that Labanotation is rigorous and universal, as it is based not on one particular style or technique but on the general

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Mar 21, 2002 Article
Conversations between scientists and the public in radio phone-ins: an experimental approach to analyse public perception of science

by Matteo Merzagora and Sylvie Coyaud

"Il ciclotrone" is the weekly science programme of "Radio Popolare - Popolare Network". During the last 12 years, once or twice a month listeners have been able to directly ask questions to the guest scientists in the studios, or to express their point of view on some controversial scientific issue. Phone-ins at Radio Popolare are not filtered; regular and occasional listeners are used to communicate with or through the radio, and in doing so they contribute to the sense of spontaneity which characterise the programmes.

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Mar 21, 2002 Article
Mathematicians and the perfect language: Giuseppe Peano's case

by Daniele Gouthier, Nico Pitrelli and Ivan Pupolizio

Ever since Galileo's time, scientists have been interested in how to create a perfect language capable of supporting communication at a horizontal level i.e. within the scientific community, and at a vertical level, i.e. between scientists and the public. Special attention will be spent on the mathematicians' role, especially Giuseppe Peano's. The Italian mathematician played a leading role in the creation of a perfect language, both at a horizontal and a vertical level. On the one hand, there is his successful attempt to introduce a standard logical and symbolic system of notation, which became essential for communication among mathematicians. On the other hand, there is the complete failure of his ambitious Latino sine flexione (Latin without inflection), a perfect language which died with its creator.

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Mar 21, 2002 Article
The theatrical communic-action of science

by Francesca E. Magni

Theatrical action can bring out the value of the exhibits of a museum, while creating a new way of experiencing the exhibitions. Theatrical actions link education and entertainment, consequently becoming a highly effective didactic instrument. The advantages of theatre are briefly outlined, considering it as an interpretative technique to communicate science from the point of view of the goals pursued by museums, of epistemology and of theatrical research.

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Mar 21, 2002 Article
Electrodynamic metaphors: communicating particle physics with Feynman diagrams

by Massimo Pietroni

The aim of this project is to communicate the basic laws of particle physics with Feynman diagrams - visual tools which represent elementary particle processes. They were originally developed as a code to be used by physicists and are still used today for calculations and elaborations of theoretical nature. The technical and mathematical rules of Feynman diagrams are obviously the exclusive concern of physicists, but on a pictorial level they can help to popularize many concepts, ranging from matter and the antimatter; the creation, destruction and transformation of particles; the role of "virtual" particles in interactions; the conservation laws, symmetries, etc.

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Commentaries

Mar 21, 2002 Commentary
Eight points about science communication

by Domenico Parisi

This item is available only in the original language

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Book Reviews

Dec 09, 2005 Book Review
"The elegant universe" by Brian Greene

by Bruno Arpaia

This item is available only in the original language

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Dec 15, 2005 Book Review
"The elegant universe" by Brian Greene

by Giuseppe Mussardo

This item is available only in the original language

Volume 1 • Issue 01 • 2002

Archive