Main description:

The aim of the book is to encourage an in-depth discussion of problems of fundamental importance that are common to the two cultures, but that are traditionally seen from different perspectives. The forum will bring together scientists, philosophers, humanists, musicians with the aim of fostering comprehension of problems that have traditionally troubled humankind, and establish more fertile grounds for the communication between the two cultures. The themes of the contributions are the followings: the concept of time, infinity, the concept and meaning of nothingness, numbers, intelligence and the human mind, basic mechanisms in the production of thought and of artistic creation, the relationship between artistic and scientific creativity.

Back cover:

The aim of this book is to offer a profound and unitary discussion of problems of fundamental problems that, although common to the two cultures, have traditionally been considered from different perspectives.

Scientists, philosophers, humanists, musicians and artists have gathered with the purpose of cooperating to establish more fertile grounds for the communication between the two cultures.

The themes dealt with in the book have troubled mankind for centuries, and innumerable efforts have been devoted to their solution. The topics include the concept of time, the meaning of nothingness, infinity, numbers, intelligence and the human mind, the basic mechanisms in the production of thought, the relationship between artistic and scientific creativity, and beauty as a bridge between the two cultures.

Contents:

LEOPOLDO MAZZAROLLI
Introduction MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO
Mirror: an optical prosthesis that multiplies the reflective capacities of the mind The Concept of Time
GABRIELE VENEZIANO
Did time have a beginning? A meeting point for science and philosophy HANS MOOIJ
The flow and the map: on the dynamic and static views of time Infinity and Nothingness
LUCIANO BOI
Creating the physical world ex nihilo? On the quantum vacuum and its fluctuations EUGENIO MAZZARELLA
World nihilism and theological nihilism: a possible definition RUTH DURRER
The evolution of the universe PIERGIORGIO ODIFREDDI
Eternity breaks through Zeno Numbers
MARCUS DU SAUTOY
Symmetry Intelligence and Emotions GIORGIO VALLORTIGARA
Intelligence and human cognition: mental processing in humble brains ELKHONON GOLDBERG
Many faces of intelligence Brain and Music
JOERG RASCHE
Cycles of re-creation: psychoanalytical approach to music Creativity in Arts and Science
ARTHUR MILLER
Art and science: two cultures or two sides of same coin? ERNESTO CARAFOLI
Scientific and artistic creativity. Towards a unifying concepì Beauty: Beyond Emotions?
MAURIZIO FERRARIS
Things and artworks GIUSEPPE O. LONGO
The dynamics of beauty Arts and Science: a Final Journey
MARIO BOTTA
Architecture between art and science