Theme: 2012 IS IT THE END? Ideas for the future

The fateful date is approaching.

Books, newspapers and television have spent the last few months to remind us that, according to the Mayan calendar, December 12, 2012 a huge environmental disaster will destroy Earth. So, according to experts, will conclude the fifth Era, defined by the Mayan calendar, the Golden Age (began August 13, 3114 BC following the other four Eras of Water, Air, Fire and Earth).

Don’t get frightened, it is true that the Mayan civilization reached remarkable scientific achievements, and it is also true that, according to some studies, the Earth undergoes a periodic variation of the axial to the plane of the ecliptic of the solar system. All this causes a reversal of the magnetic field and consequently apocalyptic scenarios. But it was indeed disasters and apocalypses or maybe just a change? In fact, very recent studies speak rather of a kind of'' reset'' that involves the Earth and the beginning of a new Era. Some are close to the target, but no one has specified what kind of'' reset'' we encounter.

TEDxFirenze takes the trouble to interpret the prophecy of the Maya in another way, to make sense of this'' reset''. All major institutions that have characterized the fifth Era are now in crisis. The economic crisis makes palpable the concept, but it is only a surface layer, down deep experience firsthand the degradation to which we arrived. Degradation that part to the policy and arrives at the economic system, passing by football. This mean that the'' reset'' we need is not an environmental disaster that cancels the current human race, but an overall change. Institutions, politics and society absolutely must change course.

Here TEDxFirenze launches a series of provocations, creates a series of reflections animated by Italian and international speakers who have important things to say on this subject. Waiting to hear them on October 27 at Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio (Florence), we leave you to reflect with a question: Is it the end of the world or just a new beginning?

Salone de 500
Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria 1
Florence, 50122
Italy

Massimo Temporelli

Massimo Temporelli is 39 years old and is a former curator at the National Museum of Science and Technology ‘‘Leonardo da Vinci’’ in Milan. He is now a private consultant in the field of temporary exhibition, cultural events and industrial culture. He also works in publishing as writer and as curator of series of books. His last book was “Il Codice delle invenzioni da Leonardo da Vindi a Steve Jobs” (Hoepli Editore), about history of invention and innovation. His research interests include science and technology, particularly the relationship with society. Temporelli has an MA in Physics, with an experimental thesis on scientific instruments of 19th century, at University of Milan, Department of Physics.

Simone Rebaudengo

Designer at frog in Monaco of Bavaria, Simone Rebaudengo explores the relationship between people and technology with a view to cross-contamination. He became fascinated with objects that change, grow, grow older, move and speak. He is fascinated by the implications of design objects that are smart enough to make their own decisions and show a point of view. In 2011 he collaborated with Usman Haque and Cosm, the first platform for the Internet of Things, for the project Addicted Products (www.addictedproducts.com), also trying to install a "toaster with an addiction" in the office of the English Prime Minister.

Linda Loppa

Born in Antwerp, Belgium, to a family of Italian origin, Linda Loppa has a career spanning over 40 years in fashion. Graduating in fashion design in 1971 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, she began working as a designer for various companies in Belgium and promoter for many avant-garde designers. In 1981 she was called to the Royal Academy of Antwerp to teach and take on the role of Head of the Fashion Department, where she cultivated many new talents, attracting the attention of the design world and specialised international press. In 1996 she contributed to the creation and development of two new international institutes; Flanders Fashion Institute and ModeNatie and in 2002 was given the responsibility as director of the new MoMu Museum of Fashion in Antwerp, where she curated numerous important shows. Since 2007 to date, nominated by the President Ferruccio Ferragamo and members of the board, she holds the post of Director of Polimoda, Florence, International Institute of Fashion, Design and Marketing. She is today one of the most noted faces of international education in the industry.

Michela Ponzani

Michela Ponzani, is a PhD reseracher at University of Florence, as well as a researcher at the German Historical Institute in Rome and consultant of Historical Archives of Senate of the Republic. Her research explores social and cultural studies of public and collective war memories to gender and women’s history. She has particularly interested in the study of post-war purge trials for mass rape and sexual war crimes committed in Italy during WWII. Prior to receive her Ph.D. in History at University of Florence she gained a Laurea cum laude at “La Sapienza” University in Rome and the International Manon Michels Fellows for European Culture studies in XX centuries at the Luigi Einaudi Foundation of Turin. Her Ph.D. dissertation, “The legacy of the Resistance in republican Italy between public rhetoric and denial of legitimacy, 1944-1953”, explores the postwar trials against ex partisans after 1945, which involves the recent debate on Italy’s tormented transition from Fascism to democracy and observes how these practices influenced the construction of national democratic identities and collective memories of war. An outstanding young historian, she is the author of many books and papers on the Italian Resistance and republican Italy, as well as on the construction of Italian war crime’s memories as well as on judicial purges against Italian fascist after 1945.

Taurinorum Travel Team

Taurinorum Travel Team is the travel team created by Carlo Alberto Biscaretti, Ludovico de Maistre and Paul Rignon to explore the world with the aim of combining great adventurous projects with others humanitarian, journalistic and advertising. The phrase that they always bring with themselves is by Yvon Chouinard: "It's not an adventure until something goes wrong" On 2011, their project was awarded first prize by the Piaggio Group "Best Dealer Award - Best Performance 2011". The project consists in organizing adventure trips aimed at producing video and photographic material from emotional impact that adapts to the publication of many TV channels and publications, national and international. A useful presentation of extraordinary countries they visit and a promotion of partner who choose to travel with them.

Giampiero Maracchi

Prof. Giampiero Maracchi is one of the greatest Italian experts in climatology and meteorology, he coordinated national and international projects and is the author of over 400 scientific publications, technical and educational. He’s professor of climatology at the University of Florence, founder and director of the Institute of Biometeorology of CNR, president of the Foundation for Climate and Sustainability and president of the Laboratory for Meteorology and Environmental Modelling of Tuscany Region - LAMMA.He’s also a member and national delegate of numerous scientific and technical committees of the World Meteorological Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization and of UE. He has received numerous national and international awards including most recently the Columbus Prize.

Giulia Innocenzi

Journalist for the italian tv program Servizio Pubblico and responsible in Italy for IAvaaz. She published the book " Meglio fottere che farsi comandare da questi" and the book / interview to Margherita Hack "La stella più lontana." Graduated from LUISS in Public Administration, began his activism in the ranks of the Radicals.

Fabio Volo

Fabio Volo is one of the most complete italian artist. He’s an actor, writer, radio and television host, and screenwriter. He started his career as a radio host at Radio Capital, discovered by Claudio Cecchetto, before going into television conducting three editions of the cult program Le Iene, along with Simona Ventura and Andrea Pellizzari. In 2000 he began a new adventure with the program Il Volo del mattino on Radio Deejay (it continues still today with Maurizio Rossato) and published his first book, Esco a fare due passi, which sold over 300,000 copies. His career as a writer continued in the last 12 years, he published five other books and in 2010 he won the sixth edition of "Premio Letterario la Tore Isola d’Elba" a prize to creativity and excellence already awarded among others like Stella , Faletti, Camilleri and Vitali. In 2002 he made his debut as an actor in the film ‘’Casomai'' directed by Alessandro D'Alatri, the interpretation of which earned him the nomination for the David di Donatello Awards as "Best Actor''. Loved by a transversal public he conquers all with its playful and friendly way of telling stories, emotions and truth.

Dony MacManus

Born in Dublin in 1971, Dony MacManus began his studies in art at the National College of Art and Design. Then with a scholarship he received a master's degree at the New York Academy of Art, remaining living and working in USA. After the September 11, 2001 he decided to move to Italy, opening a studio in Rome and then in Florence. In 2004 he returned to Dublin giving life to the Irish Academy of Figurative Art, then went back to Florence to found a school of sacred art. Most of his works are placed in public places throughout the world, especially in the United States (two large bronzes in New York City and four in Washington DC). His works are focused on the human body and the potential of forms to express something higher, such as emotions, feelings, and even the hidden corners of the soul. All his research leave from the study of a text, Theology of the Body, by Pope John Paul II, which inspired a sculpture of Christ. By analyzing the human body with its muscles and shapes, there is a new way of analyzing spirituality through the beauty and sensuality of the body.

Marco De Rossi

Born in 1990, Marco De Rossi launched in October 2004 Oilproject.org, the first community that offers free lessons on Internet thanks to volunteer teachers. Speakers are professors, entrepreneurs, technologists, scientists and journalists. Italians have seen at least one lesson in the last year are 250,000. Since 2009 he is country manager for the italian startup Tripwolf, a social traveling website born in Austria and now available in five languages. In 2012 is one of the leaders of the Telecom Italia project Working Capital that support startup.

Cosimo Pacciani

Born in Florence 41 years ago, Cosimo Pacciani graduated in Florence and then obtained his PhD in Siena. He has lived in London for more than 16 years and he has always worked in finance, with expertise in corporate finance, risk and credit derivatives. For the last nine years, he has been responsible for risk management of one of the biggest British banks. He has lived the Credit Crunchyears dealing with issues of risk management and financial stability and he strongly believes that every crisis creates opportunities. He has recently published an e-book, La Politica Accidentale ('Accidental Politics') (on www.lulu.com), which is a kind of manifesto of the new politics of individual responsibility. His passion for finance and music sometimes clash in a nice way (see link below). http://amusicalstatement.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/musical-statement-s03e08-fear-of.html

Alberto Vannnucci

Born on 1963 in Pontedera, he teaches Political Science and Analysis of Public Policy at University of Pisa, where he is also Director of the Master on mafias and corruption. He has worked with the Committee for the Prevention of Corruption, established by the Chamber of Deputies. Among his research it's topic the analysis of the political-administrative corruption, mafias and illegal markets, the political theory of neo-institutionalist, the dynamics of the political-institutional Italian system and policies against irregular work. Among his most recent publications "Nero, grigio, sommerso: attori e politiche per l’emersione del lavoro irregolare" (Pisa 2009), "Mani impunite. Vecchia e nuova corruzione in Italia "(Roma- Bari, 2007, con D. della Porta) and '' Atlante della corruzione'' (ed. Gruppo Abele, 2012).

Marco Pratellesi

Journalist and expert in new media, Marco Pratellesi teaches Techniques and Languages of New Media at Master of Milano University. He is author of Mediablog.it and President of Festival dei Popoli. He works on online journalism since 1997: after launching the online newspapers of Riffeser Monti group (La Nazione, Il Resto del Carlino,Il Giorno), from 2002 to 2010 he was responsible of Corriere della Sera online edition, for which he also edited a blog. Then he became editorial director of Condé Nast digital development. He has also worked at Il Ponte founded by Piero Calamandrei, Paese Sera and La Voce founded by Indro Montanelli. On 1997 he won the award Giornalista dell’Anno for an investigation on dirty money. On 2010 he won the award ‘’Premio per la storia di Luigi Salvatorelli’’ and one year later, on 2011 the journalistic award ‘’Arrigo Benedetti’’ for innovation on new media. He is one of the authors of ‘’Firenze, quella notte una bomba’’ (Shakespeare and Company, Florence 1993) and ‘’Il giornalismo in Italia’’ (Carocci, 2003). He wrote also‘’New Journalism. Teorie e tecniche del giornalismo multimediale’’ (Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 2008).