The Future of Science International Conferences

The Venice Conference held in 2005 was the first organized world conference on the "future of science". The intent was to bring attention to current scientific advancements and technology in an organized fashion and to present this information to the public.It is the organizers beliefs that encouraging of open discussions of these topics is crucial to the future of our society.

Visit the current website for information on the next conference:

Future of Science

For the original complete program in PDF format click:

2005 Conference Program


THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE is a cycle of annual international conferences jointly organised by Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, Fondazione Silvio Tronchetti Provera and Fondazione Giorgio Cini.
The idea of these conferences springs from an awareness that the problems and dilemmas generated by unrelenting scientific and technological progress are not being adequately discussed in society as a whole.
As Science exerts an ever more pervasive influence on our lives, society seems ill-informed about the short and long term implications of scientific advance and is unaware of the social, economic and cultural consequences of the continuous technological revolution.
Aim of the Conferences is to underline the importance of scientific development as essential tool to improve the quality of our life and to define a new role of science in the society of the third millennium.
Experts of international renown from various spheres and disciplines are invited to give their points of view on these issues, which are crucial to the destiny of our society, addressing to a public of scientists, philosophers, theologians, industrialists, politicians, economists, journalists, students and anyone might be interested in social, economic and political consequences of constant scientific development.

 

Detoxification

Future conferences should include discussion on detoxifying the body. Underlying causes to modern disease and illness must be examined at the root level. Many integrative or functional medicine Doctors agree that we must explore the cummulative effects of exposure to the thousands of toxic chemicals we have introduced into our society. The overload on our body's natural detoxification system is becoming better understood and the necessity to assist with the detoxification process must be addressed. Some interesting techniques are being introduced such as the ionic foot detox. By ionizing water and increasing exposure to negative ions through an ionic foot spa, the body's own detoxification process is stimulated. Visit Ionic Foot Detox for more info.

 

Topics Include

Original Program of Events

Science and Religions - plenary session, 9.00 am- 1.00 pm, Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo and Aron Goldhirsch
Speakers Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo– Our Knowledge of the Human Being in the condition of Science
Dariusch Atighetchi – The Islamic Tradition of Science
Amos Luzzatto – Between a Future for Science and a Future for Faith
Paljin Tulku Rinpoce- The New Alliance Between Religion and Science in Buddhist Tradition
Peter Atkins – Is Science the Only Path to Knowledge?
Giulio Giorello – Science and Faith: Is the Alliance Possible?
Discussion
Science, Culture and Ethics - plenary session, 2.00 pm- 4.00 pm, Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Mauro Ceruti (speech) and Peter Atkins
Speakers Edgar Morin * - Normal Evolution or Paradigmatic Revolution
Lewis Wolpert * – Is Science Dangerous?
Serghey Kapitza * - The Demographic Revolution and the Science
Edoardo Boncinelli - Science as Culture
* speaker unable to attend
Freedom of Science and Philosophy - plenary session, 4.30 pm- 6.30 pm, Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Gian Tommaso Scarascia Mugnozza and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (speech)
Speakers John H. Barton – Legal Restraints on the Freedom of Science
Aron Goldhirsch – Is Freedom of Research Really Jeopardised?
Amedeo Santosuosso – Science and Law: a Fascinating Interaction
Discussion
Future Sources of Energy for Mankind - parallel session
9.00 am - 1.00 pm Sala Cenacolo Palladiano The DNA Revolution - parallel session
9.00 am - 1.00 pm Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Paolo Milani (speech) and Carlo Rubbia
Speakers Predhiman K. Kaw
Energy production in the developing Nations
Veerabhadran Ramanathan
Air Pollution, Global Dimming and Global Warming: Dilemmas for the Developed and the Developing Nations
Michael Graetzel
Renewable Energy
Louis Schlapbach
The Potential and Limits of Hydrogen Energy Technologies
Pascal Acot
Climatology and human societies
Discussion
Chairpersons Pier Giuseppe Pelicci and Chiara Tonelli
Speakers Ken Weiss
Biomedical Genetics: Miracle or Mirage, Prediction or Predicament?
Leonard Guarente
Prolongation of Human Life Span
Teruhiko Wakayama
Animal Cloning by Somatic Cell Reprogramming
Xing Wang Deng
From Rice Genomics to Agrobiotechnology Application
Bruce Chassy
Food Safety and Biotechnology
Discussion
A Challenge for Science: Conquering Cancer - parallel session
2.00 pm - 4.30 pm Sala Arazzi Future of Information and Communication - parallel session
2.00 pm - 4.30 pm Sala Cenacolo
Chairpersons Umberto Veronesi and Gordon J. McVie
Speakers Pier Paolo Di Fiore
Understanding Cancer. Molecular Genetics of Cancer
Elizabeth Blackburn
Telomeres and Telomerase: Life, Death and Cancer
Gordon J. McVie
The Future of Cancer Therapy
Giulio Draetta
Targeting Signaling Pathways in Cancer
Discussion
Chairpersons Maurizio Dècina (speech) and Tomaso Poggio
Speakers Vinton G. Cerf
Internet and Pervasive Networking
Zhores Alferov – New Materials for Information Technology
Adi Shamir
Information Security and Privacy
Alan Kay
The Real Computer Revolution to Come
Discussion
The role of Charities in conquering cancer - parallel session
5.00 pm - 6.00 pm Sala Arazzi Modern Societies confronting new epidemics: the example of AIDS - parallel session
5.00 pm - 6.00 pm Sala Cenacolo
Round table organized by AIRC (Italian Association for Cancer Research) on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary
Round table organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
M.I. Colnaghi, A. Costa, F. De Bortoli*, G. McVie, P.G. Pelicci, G. Tremonti*, U. Veronesi
* unable to attend Chairperson Gianni Puglisi
Speakers Luc Montagnier
AIDS and news epidemics in the XXI Century
David Pauza
Innovative concepts for AIDS Vaccine
Vittorio Colizzi
“Families First Africa”, an Italian initiative with UNESCO: the African Approach to the AIDS Vaccine
Science and Technology- plenary session, 9.00 am – 10.30 am Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Giulio Giorello and Zhores J. Alferov
Speakers Daniel C. Dennett – Evolution, Freedom and Society
Philip Pettit – Science and our Self-Image: Neuroscience and Free Will
Emanuele Severino – Philosophy and Technology
Science and Economic Power - plenary session, 11.00 am – 1.00 pm Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Mario Monti* and Franco Malerba (speech)
Speakers Paul David - Sustaining the ‘Open Science’ Revolution: The Advancement of Knowledge and the Knowledge-Driven Economy
Richard Nelson - The Market Economy and the Scientific Commons
Paula Stephan - Job Market Effects on Scientific Productivity
Discussion
Science and Political Power - plenary session, 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Giuliano Amato and Viktor Chernomyrdin*
Speakers Viktor Chernomyrdin* – Role of Science in Political Decision Making
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend – Political Challenges of the New Scientific Revolution
Federico Mayor – Science and Society and Priorities
Alberto Martinelli – Science and Democracy
Janez Potocnik – Science and Policy: an EU Perspective
Discussion
*unable to attend
A Program for the Future- plenary session, 5.00 pm – 6.00 pm Sala Arazzi
Chairpersons Umberto Veronesi and Marco Tronchetti Provera
with the participation of Lucio Stanca, Italian Minister for Innovation and Technology
The Venice Charter
Announcement of the Second World Conference on the Future of Science