Science
for Everyone

Drawing on over a decade of personal experience studying and then teaching in both the United States and Italy, this essay compares the two university systems across curriculum structure, depth of content, and teaching and assessment methods. The central observation — that American undergraduate education in its early years resembles a well-organized Italian liceo — opens into a broader reflection on the trade-offs between the highly structured, resource-intensive US approach (frequent partial exams, weekly graded homework, mandatory attendance) and Italy's more autonomous model, on the different cultural attitudes toward higher education in the Anglo-Saxon and Latin traditions, and on the role of professional networks at elite American institutions. Published in the proceedings of a 2021 conference on pedagogy.

What does it mean, concretely, for science to be culture — not just through its technological applications, but through its lasting impact on how we think and reason as individuals and as a society? Starting from this question, the essay works through three simple examples to argue that even elementary scientific literacy changes how we face uncertainty, interpret data, and make decisions. The conclusion is pointed: science gives us tools for understanding phenomena we might directly experience otherwise, and choosing to engage with it seriously is itself a cultural act.

Written during the COVID-19 pandemic for a general audience, this article explains the mathematical models behind social distancing recommendations — from epidemiological models to geometric tiling problems (the Lagrange–Thue–Fejes Tóth theorem). Includes supplementary material with proofs and problems for the curious reader.

Public expressions of pride in being poor at mathematics reveal a widespread cultural prejudice that would rarely be accepted toward other fields of knowledge. Such attitudes, often reinforced by public discourse in Italy, portray mathematics as inaccessible or suitable only for specialists. This perception contributes to the marginalization of mathematical literacy and obscures the discipline’s central role in scientific reasoning, critical thinking, and many aspects of contemporary society. Recognizing mathematics as a fundamental component of general education is therefore essential for strengthening broader intellectual and civic competence.