An increasingly close relationship between science, society, ethics and decision-making powers. A vaccine that can fight cancer. Foods that can prevent diseases. The new methods that will allow us to cure ourselves in twenty years. These are just a few examples of what science could hold in store for us in the future and which will be the focus of the XIII edition of the world conference "The Future of Science" entitled "The Lives to Come", presented on Tuesday 4 July by Chiara Tonelli, president of “The future of Science” and pro-rector for Research at the University of Milan; Paolo Veronesi, president of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation; Giovanni Bazoli, president of the Cini Foundation; and Marco Tronchetti Provera, president of the Silvio Tronchetti Provera Foundation.
The initiative – wanted since 2005 by Umberto Veronesi – will bring together some of the greatest scientific minds in the world. The next conference, the first after Veronesi's death, will take place on 21-22 September in Venice on the Island of San Giorgio at the headquarters of the Cini Foundation. It is no coincidence that the opening session of the works – Thursday 21 September – will be the legacy left by the illustrious oncologist surgeon. “Because the topics we will be dealing with – said Chiara Tonelli – are those that Umberto Veronesi had already recognized as priorities several years ago. Nutrition as an element of disease prevention and treatment support has been at the center of his interests in the last 10 years of activity. Today we know that what we eat regulates the activity of our genes. In the not too distant future, the use of foods that can take into account and avoid or exploit these discoveries could be enhanced”.
Another hot topic will be that of vaccinations: not only as a tool for the prevention of infectious diseases, but also as a prophylactic opportunity against various dysplasias. “Innovating and doing research for both private and public companies is essential. In every discipline _ Tronchetti Provera declared in his speech – investing in this direction means maintaining a high level of competitiveness and therefore having greater advantages on the markets compared to competitors. A collective effort is therefore necessary to ensure that Italy plays a primary role on the world scene”.
"In order not to be caught unprepared - said Paolo Veronesi in turn - we need to support research, but also make society informed on a scientific level through dissemination that is balanced and correct".
