Federico is a geneticist and molecular biologist at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He grew up in Senago, a town near Milano, Italy. Because of his interest in geopolitics, geography and social sciences, he studied International Relations at the University of London. He is a former swimmer and swimming instructor. He believes that sports educates people in thinking critically.
Federico's latest articles
Medical and technological advancements have led to a drastic reduction of worldwide infant mortality and an increased life expectancy. Because of this, far more people are able to reach reproductive age, thus maintaining “unfit” genetic traits in our population that would otherwise be weeded out by natural selection. Considering the consequences of these issues and devising solutions for them can help us overcome the future unsustainable costs for national healthcare systems.
Older articles
30.01.2019 – The young Swedish climate activist gave a sensationalistic speech at the COP24 UN Conference in Katowice that became widely popular. Here we analyze and explain what she said, sentence-by-sentence. Finally, we criticize and challenge her view that people will be the driving force of an environmentalist revolution.
READ THE ARTICLE…
18.01.2019 – Pasta is generally categorised among unhealthy foods. However, Italians – large consumers of pasta – are among the healthiest populations of the world. This study digs into the properties of this highly caloric food to unveil its potential benefits and to debunk the general misconceptions of pasta-based recipes.
READ THE ARTICLE…
07.01.2019 – Many researchers assume that the pain animals feel scales with size, or at least that animals are either partially conscious or completely unconscious of the pain they are suffering. But is the idea that pain scales with size actually true?
READ THE ARTICLE…
28.12.2018 – Marx had a negative idea of capitalism. Though – at his time – globalisation could still be seen as a force that brings change in our society by spreading the ideals of a communist revolution. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, what would be Marx’s view on the global capitalism of the 21st century?
READ THE ARTICLE…
16.12.2018 – Within the last 20 years, the United States and its western allies have gone to war to defend the natural human rights of citizens of other states, thereby violating the principle of non-intervention established within the frame of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Is interventionism justified, or does it reflect the interests of the aggressors? Will other international players, such as China or Russia, use similar rhetoric to justify aggressive behaviours?
READ THE ARTICLE…
08.12.2018 – The pleasure of discovery is Romantic, and drives students towards the study of scientific disciplines. However, young scientists often experience, quite soon, a loss of enthusiasm and motivation. Digging deeper into the world of scientific publishing, this article reveals how the monetary interests of journals are destroying the Romantic ideas of scientists by establishing an unsustainable system of competitive struggles.
READ THE ARTICLE…
30.11.2018 – European and American rejection of anti-Semitism following the Holocaust has favored the rise of the state of Israel. However, 75 years later, Israel has established a regime of ‘apartheid’ – as reported by the United Nations – depriving Palestinians of human rights, including their right of self-determination. Nevertheless, Israel enjoys widespread support in the international realm, and the voices of dissent are not strong enough. In this article, anti-Semitism and historical memory are analyzed as a possible tool in the hands of Israeli Zionist movements to enable action against the international law without meeting substantial obstacles.
READ THE ARTICLE…
22.11.2018 – This is a commentary article of: “North Korea’s simple strategies confuse media and political analysts”
READ THE ARTICLE…
14.11.2018 – Randomness shapes events of life on the microscopic and macroscopic level. Though, scientific disciplines struggle to find effective ways of teaching randomness. Modern and alternative approaches that train students to think of random events could pave the way for a new generation of scientists and of human progress.
READ THE ARTICLE…
06.11.2018 – How are relations among states shaped? Is there a structural invisible layer that keeps our society within given and predictable boundaries, or is society fluid and unpredictable? A scientific study of how language influences ideas and change could bring these two views together.
READ THE ARTICLE…
29.10.2018 – The lives and dreams of Saleh and Ahmed, inhabitants of Tighmert, a village located in an oasis in the south of Morocco. Their fortune is linked to the presence of visitors, but the fulfilment of their dreams could undermine the passion that sustains their ambitions.
READ THE ARTICLE…
21.10.2018 – The nuclearization of North Korea is seen as the result of Kim Jong-un’s aggressive foreign policies. In line with realist theory, North Korea is instead simply pursuing a self-help strategy of power maximization to ensure the survival of its ruling elite class. This article shows how a western bias in the political debate has influenced the perception of the public and caused confusion among media and political experts.
READ THE ARTICLE…
Empathy drives us towards actions that relieve the suffering of other people. However, in a world full of information, empathy acts as a negative selective force that pushes us either towards irrelevant or complete inaction. If we wish to change our world, we should highlight information and feel apathetic towards everything else.
Scientific publications
12.2018 – Baillon et al., “Xrp1 is a transcription factor required for cell competition-driven elimination of loser cells”, Scientific Reports. LINK
11.2018 – Germani et al., “The Toll pathway inhibits tissue growth and regulates cell fitness in an infection-dependent manner”, eLife. LINK
02.2018 – Germani et al., “Mosaic analysis in Drosophila”, Genetics. LINK