SISSA, through the Comitato Unico di Garanzia (CUG) and as part of the PRO-BEN project promoted by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), organizes two meetings with Silvia Bencivelli, science journalist, writer and radio and television presenter, dedicated to the history of science and academic well-being.
On Friday, September 5, at 6 p.m. at the Antico Caffè San Marco, the public event Science becomes fantasy foresees Bencivelli in conversation with Nico Pitrelli, director of the Master's course in Science Communication “Franco Prattico” and head of communications at SISSA. At the center of the dialogue is the story of Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817–1894), one of the most famous doctors of his time, father of endocrinology and pioneer of neuroscience. His name still identifies a specific neurological syndrome, but his figure, once celebrated, is now shrouded in an awkward silence. His parable, between genius, daring experimentation and personal downfall, is recounted by Bencivelli in the book Tre colpi di genio e una pessima idea (Bollati Boringhieri, 2025).
Through Brown-Séquard's life, the meeting offers an opportunity to reflect on how ambition, professional pressure and notoriety can affect personal and collective well-being. By analyzing the successes and failures of a historical figure, the event emphasize the importance of inclusive scientific contexts, attentive to psychological health, central themes of the PRO-BEN project.
On the same line is the event reserved to SISSA community, scheduled for Thursday, September 4, at 5 p.m. in the Big Meeting Room (7th floor). Entitled The Revolution of Normality – Women in Science Beyond the Myth of the Pioneer, the meeting explores the representation of women in science and the importance of realistic and sustainable role models, contributing to the creation of more inclusive environments that are conducive to the well-being of the entire academic community.
Silvia Bencivelli is the author of numerous popular science books. Among her most recent works are: Eroica, folle e visionaria – Storie di medicina spericolata (Bollati Boringhieri, 2023; winner of the Giancarlo Dosi National Science Communication Award 2024, finalist for the Galileo Award and Cosmos Award 2024) and Il mistero del gatto Asclepio (Salani, 2024).