Interview
Milan , July 25, 2015 – 09:09
Professor, the announcement of NASA looked like a Hollywood film: the discovery of a planet” cousin “of the Earth, the distance from its sun compatible with the presence of water , and who knows what else. There has been too much emphasis or is it really a historic step in scientific research?
“It is normal that those who have a good result try to sell it to the fullest. But it’s really impressive the number of coincidences – the size of the planet Kepler-452b, the characteristics of the star similar to our Sun – that open the imagination a series of questions. For example, we will never travel to reach a celestial body that is 1400 light-years away, striking distance? “.
Roberto Cingolani, 53, matter physicist and scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, daily deals with nanotechnology, dell’infintamente small, but is excited by the scenarios that can be opened in ‘ infinitely large. “A century ago, only the theory predicted the existence of atoms. After a hundred years not only we see them, but we count them and mount them on each other. Progress takes steps unimaginable. ”
1400 years light are still many. You may think: and now, what will change for us?
“While it is right to distinguish between a stellar distance and even a large but belongs to an area known, the size defined, a sort of training ground for those who study the cosmos. And I think the next goal will be to get away with the missions as much as possible from the solar system so you can take pictures Kepler -452b. ”
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NASA announcement: “In Space there is another planet Earth ‘
The charm, at present more cinematic than scientific, is assuming find other forms of Life in the Universe. It has gone too far in the suggestion?
“Just sixty years ago a letter to travel from one end of the world, took weeks, now two people can be put in contact with a cell phone in two tenths of a second. Two hundred years, a period reduced compared to the history of man, perhaps consider the distance of 1,400 light years in a different way. ”
We must always believe in science …
“Knowledge must go faster technology. If a theory is well thought out and is accompanied by the right intuition, sooner or later it will be demonstrated in reality. ”
We also need funding.
“That’s why you have so often spectacular achievements, especially in recent times. There is competition between different laboratories, and everyone tries to do the best to convince the states and governments to invest in their projects. There is no doubt that this is a form of market, with a product to sell. ”
not likely to turn everything in sight?
“To avoid this disclosure must be a mission. It is crucial to make everyone understand the essence of research, reveal the great principles behind it. ”
Some might argue that the point of investing large resources to know that there is an Earth 2.0 (definition of NASA) but a distance that probably will not have definite answers in a reasonable time.
“It would be a mistake not to support and fund the research which may appear useless and devote himself to what can serve tomorrow. It is easy to understand the need for health research. We have to have the same conviction for the other fields. ”
In short, although the sister planet to now little more that a deduction let alone know if we really can be no life, is it correct to investigate and fantasize?
“This is the challenge of science.”
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Kepler 452b, the “new earth” that already like the Network
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July 25, 2015 (modified July 25, 2015 | 10:24)
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