CONSCIENCE IS FUNDAMENTAL
Saturday 22 October 2022 10.00 – 13.00 – Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies
Serra di Cassano Palace – Via Monte di Dio, 14 – NAPLES
Naples, October 17, 2022. Saturday 22 October 2022 from 10 to 13 at the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies in Naples, the Cultural Association ALTANUR, within the project “The Unexpected Connections 2022” presents the meeting with Federico Faggin entitled “Conscience is fundamental“. Physicist, inventor and entrepreneur, Federico Faggin is very famous all over the world as the father of the microprocessor and other inventions that have revolutionized technology and the society in which we live.
The meeting will open with the greetings of Giorgio Zinno, Mayor of San Giorgio a Cremano and Prof. Gennaro Miele, Director of the Physics Department of the Federico II University, will be moderated by Roberto Germano and will start from the essay by Prof. Faggin as soon as published by Mondadori entitled ‘Irreducible – consciousness, life, computers and our nature‘, in which the author combines scientific rigor with spirituality and will expand on the infinite connections between consciousness, information theory, computers and life.
The initiative takes place in partnership with PROMETE Srl_CNR Spin off Company with Pmoral atrocity of the Campania Region, of the City of San Giorgio a Cremanoof the Department of Physics “Ettore Pancini” and the Department of Humanities of the University of Naples ‘Federico II’ as well as the collaboration with the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies (IISF).
PROGRAM 22 OCTOBER HOURS 10.00 – 13.00
Greetings from the Mayor of San Giorgio a Cremano Giorgio Zinno
Greeting by Gennaro HONEY (Director of the Physics Department of the Federico II University)
Meeting / Interview with Federico FAGGIN
Questions from the audience.
NOTES ON FEDERICO FAGGIN
He was responsible for the development of the first microprocessors 8008, 4040, 8080 and developer of the MOS technology with silicon gate that allowed the manufacture of the first microprocessors and dynamic EPROM and RAM memories and CCD sensors, the essential elements for the digitization of information. Since 1968 he has lived in the USA. In 1974 he founded the first company dedicated exclusively to microprocessors and gave birth to the famous Z80 microprocessor.
In 1986 he founded the Synapticsa company that developed the first touchpads and touchscreens and since 2004 is the CEO of Foveona company that manufactures advanced image sensors for digital cameras.
In 2015 the ‘Federico and Elvia Faggin’ Foundation has established a chair of Information Physics at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) to support the study of complex systems, biophysics, cognitive science, and mathematics in the unifying theme of information physics.
In 2019 he received the highest honor of the Italian Republic with the appointment as Knight of the Grand Cross Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
NOTES ON THE ASSAY PRESENTED ON OCTOBER 22
The author combines the skillful dissemination capacity with reflection on deep connections between quantum mechanics, consciousness and information theory. We were struck by his words: “For years I have tried in vain to understand how consciousness could arise from electrical or biochemical signals, and I have found that, invariably, electrical signals can only produce other electrical signals or other physical consequences such as force or movement, but never sensations and feelings, which are qualitatively different. It is consciousness that understands the situation and that makes the difference between a robot and a human being. In a machine there is no ‘pause for reflection’ between symbols and action, because the meaning of symbols, doubt, and free will exist only in the consciousness of a self, but not in a mechanism. “ This is Faggin’s thought and we also find his underlining of how we should really be beautiful: deeply human. In this very particular historical moment there are no better words.
NOTES ON ROBERTO GERMANO, MODERATOR OF THE MEETING
Physicist by training, entrepreneur by madness, writer by enthusiasm, scientist by passion, free by necessity. Founding partner (1997) and Director of PROMETE Srl (CNR Spin off Company), founding partner of Pandora TV, and currently active in CASADELSOLE.TV. Author of numerous international articles on physics and industrial patents. Expert in Technology Transfer, winner of the 2004 edition of the “Roberto Marrama” award for young entrepreneurial talents, he was a member of the International Society for Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ISCMNS), he is founder and member of the Secretariat of AlterLab (Laboratory for the Alternative political-cultural).
He is a founding member of the Interdisciplinary Cultural Association “ALTANUR – Le Connessioni Inattese”, born in Naples in 1997 with the aim of promoting interaction between different knowledge and achieving correct dissemination, of which he is currently the president.
Co-founder, with Giulietto Chiesa and many others of the Center of Gravity, a thought laboratory born at the end of 2019, a space free from conditioning that is uniting the intelligences scattered throughout the country.
He is a member of the Scientific Committee of IC-MAST – the International Conference on Materials and Applications for Sensors and Transducers, where he is Chairman of the Low Energy Coherent Systems Session, as well as a member of the Scientific Committee of AQUAPHOTOMICS (Japan) and of the “Luc Montagnier Foundation” of Geneva.
BOOKS BY ROBERTO GERMANO
“Cold Fusion. Modern history of Inquisition and Alchemy ”, Bibliopolis (2000, 2003, 2011), preface by Giuliano Preparata, afterword by Emilio Del Giudice.
“AQUA. Electromagnetic water and its amazing adventures ”, Bibliopolis (2007), preface by Emilio Del Giudice.
“Shameless intrusive that does not know about life”, Kammer ed. 2020.
“Visceral skepticism with poetic complications”, Cultural Group “Ippolito Rosellini”, Pisa, 1993.
- De Falco, R. Germano, “TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER. Scenarios and tools for the mutual exchange of skills between universities, research bodies and companies ”, Franco Angeli, 2010, preface by Piero Perlo (former Director of the FIAT Research Center).
His contributions are present in the volumes: “Science and Democracy” (Liguori publisher, 2003), “Sciences, Powers and Democracy” (Editori Riuniti, 2006), “The world according to Quantum Physics” (Sperling & Kupfer, 2017) by F Fracas.
Our interlocutors are young people, our mission is to enhance their motivation and competence to create and give life to a new way of “thinking” about journalism.
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