Stefano Parmigiani Department of Neuroscience University of Parma

Stefano Parmigiani Department of Neuroscience University of Parma Co-director of the International School of Ethology Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture

30 th workshop Cetacean echolocation and outer space neutrinos: ethology and physics for an interdisciplinary approach to underwater bioacoustics and astrophysical particles detection multidisciplinarity (a chracteristic feature not only of the School under my direction but of the Centre). Introducing the Ettore Majorana Centre its origin and purposes

The Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture (EMFCSC) ► The Centre was founded in 1962 by the Italian physicist prof. Antonino Zichichi. The EMFCSC is named after an outstanding Italian physicist. Born in Sicily in 1906, Ettore Majorana gave exceptional contributions to theoretical nuclear physic. Enrico Fermi considered him a genious like Galilei and Newton. Since its’ founding, this Centre (now embracing 123 Schools) has represented an important meeting place for scientists from all over the world.

The first schools were dedicated to physics Ancient buildings, now part of the ‘Ettore Majorana’ Centre are dedicated to great scientists and supporters of the Centre ► The San Francesco Monastery is now the Eugene P. Wigner Institute with the ‘Enrico Fermi’ Lecture Hall. ► The San Domenico Monastery is now the Patrick M. S. Blackett Institute with the ‘Paul A. M. Dirac’s Lecture Hall. (we are here)

From the Seminars on Nuclear Wars to the International Seminars on Planetary Emergencies (every year from 18 -25 August scientists meet to discuss topics related to the 63 identified Planetary Emergencies i. e. Pollution, energy, climate changes water supply, nuclear waist, terrorism etc). ► In 1981 nuclear scientists from antagonists political systems ( eg USA and ex-Soviet Union) had the opportunity to meet in Erice to discuss and propose solution about the planetary emergency posed by the threat of nuclear wars (Seminars on nuclear wars). ► Now: International Seminars on Planetary Emergencies

ERICE STATEMENT: “Science without secrets and borders…. ” 1982 International Seminars on Nuclear War with the adoption of the Erice Statment signed also by Paul Dirac The father of the Theorem of Time, Professor Eugene Wigner (on the left in the photo) and Professor Paul Dirac (on the right in the photo), father of the equation which brought to Antimatter, with Antonino Zichichi.

Paul Dirac’ s“serendipity”: the uniqueness and power of the human mind These thoughts, that are very important to understand the spirit and effort of Erice Centre and its schools for the advancement of knowledge, have been stimulated by a plenary lecture by the President Antonino Zichichi at the International Seminars Planetary Emergencies ► Why the Dirac’s equation is shown on the front desk of S. Domenico lecture hall instead, for example, of the famous Einstein’s equation ? “ I was selecting a physical problem expressed in a non relativistic form and tried to “translate” into the realativity principle. It was like playing and sometimes the outcoming result was intriguing”(P. Dirac) With his equation Dirac succesfully combined the essential aspects of relativity and quantum theory (the two great theories of the XX century). The unespected : the equation revealed “ negative energy” value that with astonishing geniality lead him to the concept of antielectron and antimatter. “The great value of a scientific idea is its capacity of stimulating thinking and open new frontiers of research”(P. Dirac) ►

The human mind is capable of thinking about things that do not fall under our senses The huge intellectual achievement of Paul Dirac is unprecedented in the history of science: when Galilei studied the way stones run along an inclined plane, the stones were there: when Einstein succeeded in his great synthesis he could see space-time, mass-energy where there and in front of everybody’s eyes: but when Dirac started to think of the existence of the antielectron and of antimatter, nothing of this sort was around(A. Zichichi, 1990) This remind us as scientists: 1) the power and limits of the methodological reductionism (that we use successfully while designing experiments to test hypotheses) 2) to avoid the ontological reductionism. (i. e. all we can see and measure is enough to understand the complexity of nature). The 123 schools are a testimonial of the multidisciplinary and “ holistic” approach encouraged by the EMFCSC to different field of human knowledge

International School of Ethology ► The International School of Ethology is one the 123 schools of the Ettore Majorana Centre. The distinctive feature and scope of the workshop from a conference can be understood by the words of Antonino Zichichi: “At Erice, those who come to follow a School are called ‘students’ because they come to Erice to learn about the new problems. What is distinctive for Erice is the spirit animating all participants: students no less than teachers. The prime objective is to learn". The student listens to the lectures but also have a chance to mingle and discuss with the scientists, such as over lunch and dinner and excursion where they can ask questions and continue the discussion

Some earlier workshops 1987 House Mouse Aggression(with. P. Brain-Swansea)-JP Scott with us 1988 Ethology & Psychobiology of Fear and Defence(with R. Blanchard -Hawaii) 1990 Protection and Abuse of Young in Animals and Man (with F. vom Saal-Missouri )( Infaticide and Parental Care book) 1994 Underwater bioacustics: behavioural and environmental and evolutionary perspectives (Torricelli, Pavan, Lugli) 1998 Ethology & Biomedical Research (with R. Nesse Michigan & J. Rodgers Leeds) 2002 Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC)on brain development and Behavior(T. Colborn & F. vom Saal) -After this workshop Antonino Zichichi invited me to the International Seminars and , together with Fred vom Saal , included as a member of the permanent panel of pollution of Planetary Emergencies

2003 Social stress: impact on physiology and Behavior (with J. Koohlas. Netherlands) 2009 The Primate Mind: built to connect with other minds(P. Ferrari & F. de Waal) 2011 The Obese Species: preclinical and clinical studies for understanding eating and balancy energy disorders ( A. Bartolomucci, J. Rodgers and my first workshop as co-director of the School) ► 2012 Mirror neurons : 20 years after discovery ( Ferrari et al )

Erice 17 -22 June 2012 Directors of the workshop Frans de Waal (Emory University, Atlanta, USA) Telmo Pievani (University of MIiano-Bicocca, Italy) Stefano Parmigiani (University of Parma, Italy) Hosted by Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture International School of Ethology Erice, Sicily, Italy President of the Center: Prof. A. Zichichi Directors of the School: Prof. Danilo Mainardi, Prof. Stefano Parmigiani ► www. evolutionofmorality. it

The Evolution of morality workshop explored the biological roots of morality and conscience at an interdisciplinary level including evolutionary biologists, behavioural biologists (ethologists), anthropologists, psychologists, neuroscientist, philosophers and theologians. A special issue of the journal Behaviour entitled “Evolved morality: the biology and philosophy of human conscience” containing the papers presented during the workshop will be published soon

Paragon of animals irrelevant the human scientists proclaims that animals are irrelevant to the study of human beings and that there is no such thing as a universal human nature. The consequence is that science, so coldly successful at dissecting DNA, has proved spectacularly inept at tackling what the philosopher David Hume called the greater question of all: why is human nature what it is? ” ► Matt Ridley “ The Red Queen: sex and the evolution of human nature” (1993) ► ►

Future workshops 2013 -31 st workshop Ungulate Management in the World with an European Perspective (Apollonio et al. ) 2014 -32 nd workshop Neuroeconomics: Recent advances and future directions (Maestripieri et al. 2014 -33 rd workshop What made us human? Biological and cultural Evolution of Homo sapiens (Parmigiani, Pievani , Tattersall a possible follow up of the evolution of morality “Ethology of sacred and rituals: the origin of religious mind”

SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES ARE NOT TWO THINGS BUT TWO SIDES OF THE SAME THING (T. H. Huxley) The EMFCSC is a worldwide recognized prestigious foudation capable of stimulating ideas and collaboration between people with different expertise (ranging from science to humanities). Consequently this foreword to initiate the workshop of the School wants to be an expression of profound gratitude to the founder and president of the Centre prof. Antonino Zichichi for the energy, enthusiasm and stamina he has devoted to the realization of the Ettore Majorana Centre.