Nanotech
In The Incredible Journey, the master of science fiction, Isaac Asimov, temporarily abandons his usual intergalactic space voyages in order to take a trip around the human body inside a miniscule capsule. Half a century later, science and science fiction are not so far apart and new nanotechnologies are enabling us to explore this “final frontier”. In a world whose boundaries seem to be expanding out towards the infinite and immense, one of the possible, parallel futures of humanity seems nonetheless to lie infinitely small.
The transformation of matter at an atomic level, with the interaction of physics, chemistry and engineering will revolutionise medicine and digital technologies, leading to the creation of new materials, and new developments medicine, genetics, quantum computing and the space programme. It should even transform our ecology, allowing for the molecular breakdown of organic waste.
The nanotechnology revolution is expected before the middle of the 21st century. Yet even today EU research shows that 90% of companies surveyed believe that nanotechnologies will play a useful role in their future development. 77% consider that nanotechnologies will make them more competitive, and almost all of the companies interviewed claimed that it was difficult to find personnel qualified to work or carry out research into this field.
Piedmont, thanks to the sizeable investments made in its infrastructure as a result of the 2006 Winter Olympics, has been able to invest about 400 million Euro in new technologies. Local banks, businesses such as Alenia, the Fiat Research Centre, the Rai, Rotorola, TelecomItalia Lab, Olivetti, Sorin and research institutions such as the Mario Boella and the Galileo Ferraris in Turin, or the Donnegani in Novara, have also taken part in and supported a number of projects which are already at an advanced stage and should begin to yield some valuable benefits soon.
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Places
Forte di Vinadio
Requested by Re Carlo Alberto, the Forte (Fort) di Vinadio represents one of the most important examples of military architecture from the Alps. It extends length-wise for 1,200 meters, on three levels, which cover about 10 km of interior passageway.
Biblioteca Reale di Torino
The Biblioteca Reale (Royal Library) houses important collections of manuscripts, illuminated manuscripts, and engravings. Besides its 2,000 drawings, it has several drawings by Leonard Da Vinci, among which are: the Self-Portrait, the Volto dell’Angelo (the Angel’s Face), the preliminary drawing for the Vergine delle Rocce (Virgin of the Rocks), and the Codice sul Volo (Codex on the Flight of Birds).
Historical Wine Cellars in Canelli
The wine cellars – which hold ancient barrels perfectly lined-up – have brick arches, lowered large round arches connected to each other by tunnels that reach into the layers and strata of earth which have formed over the centuries.
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People
Cristina Tardito
"Torino is a somber and very refined city that knows how to combine the ancient splendor of Palazzo Madama with the modern rush of the Olympic sites. I would like to take foreigners out on a Torino bar hop or take them out on the Po in a canoe."
Piero Chiambretti
"The free time I have, I spend in Torino. It’s the place where I grew as a human and professionally. My years of study and cabaret, those of fleeing and returning a winner, those of my haunts. Torino is my life."
Antonello Venditti
“Torino is a fist of good earth raised to the sky…it’s my second home. I found a special lady here who knows how to reward me with affection. This is why I will never forget the concert I gave at Palasport in 1980”.
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