Francesco Sylos Labini

I am a theoretical physicist and my research activity includes topics that are placed at the interface between complex systems, cosmology, and gravitational dynamics.

In addition to physics, I am interested in politics and the epistemology of science.
I became a researcher at the Enrico Fermi Research Center in 2010 and Research Director in 2020. For about 15 years I have been working at the Institute for Complex Systems of the National Research Council in Rome. In addition, I am an associate scientist at the National Institute of Particle Physics (INFN). I have been for about 10 years at the University of Geneva and the University of Paris XI, where I developed the core of my research activity. During my career, I have collaborated with researchers from many different countries, including Europe, the United States, and Russia.

During my professional career, I have published more than 100 articles in specialized journals and about 40 proceedings at international conferences and workshops. In addition, I am co-author of the technical monograph “Statistical Physics for Cosmic Structures” published by Springer Verlag (2005) and of the book “Dynamics and thermodynamics of system with long-range interactions” published by the American Institute of Physics (2008). I have written several articles on the dissemination of science in international and Italian journals (including the Italian edition of Scientific American). Two covers of the scientific journal New Scientist have been dedicated to our works together with dedicated articles. I was a member of the organizing committee of 11 international conferences and workshops, I was invited as a speaker at about 20 international conferences, 30 international workshops, and 20 national meetings. In addition, I have held more than 50 invited seminars at various institutions in Europe, the United States, and Russia.

I am also the author of several essays, the latest of which is Forecasts and Risk: what science tells us about the crisis (Laterza 2016) translated into English in Science and the Economic Crisis: impact on science, lessons from science (Springer 2016). I am the founder and editor of the Return on Academic Research website dedicated to discussing university and research policy issues and I contribute to other blogs in Italy and abroad.