by InTrieste
More than 40 titles will be featured at the ninth edition of Scienza e Virgola, a festival that blends science and storytelling. Six national premieres are scheduled, including the latest work by Italian psychoanalyst Massimo Recalcati.
Recalcati will present Uno diviso due (One Divided by Two, Feltrinelli) on Saturday, May 10, at Teatro Miela. The book examines the complexities of sibling relationships and their lasting impact on personal identity and life trajectories. Through clinical and literary examples, Recalcati explores themes such as rivalry, protection, inverted Oedipal dynamics, and the evolution of fraternal bonds beyond the family of origin.
The festival opens Tuesday, May 6, with another national preview: Nel segno di Thoth (In the Sign of Thoth, Ponte alle Grazie), the latest work by science communicator Alessandro Magrini. The book, which will be presented at Caffè San Marco, traces the transformative history of numbers and their role alongside the alphabet in shaping human civilization.
Also debuting is I vagabondi del mare (Sea Wanderers, Codice), co-authored by science journalist Giorgia Bollati and marine biologist Marta Musso. The book focuses on plankton—organisms ranging from bacteria and algae to jellyfish and fish larvae—that play a crucial role in the planet’s oxygen production and carbon absorption. Bollati will present the work on Sunday, May 11, at Libreria Lovat, in conversation with Marco Costantini of WWF International.
Among other previews is L’algoritmo bipede (The Biped Algorithm, Egea) by researcher Martina Ardizzi, continuing the festival’s mission to bring cutting-edge scientific thought to the public in engaging and accessible ways.
Running through mid-May, Scienza e Virgola highlights the intersections between scientific discovery, cultural reflection, and the written word.
