XLVI National Congress of the Italian Society for the History of Physics and Astronomy

Session

Physics and Physicists of the Twentieth Century in Naples

15 Sept 2026, 10:10

Auditorium Ernesto Capocci (Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte)

Conveners

Physics and Physicists of the Twentieth Century in Naples

• Salvatore Esposito (INFN - Sezione di Napoli)

Physics and Physicists of the Twentieth Century in Naples

• Salvatore Esposito (INFN - Sezione di Napoli)

69. Correlation and Connectivity in Complex Systems

Coniglio, Antonio (Università di Napoli "Federico II" Dipartimento di Fisica "Ettore Pancini")

15/09/2026, 10:10

Physics in Naples

After a brief introduction to the origins of statistical physics in Naples, I will discuss the topics developed with the contributions of many researchers from the Neapolitan scientific community and international collaborations.
Statistical physics describes systems with many degrees of freedom, whose interactions often give rise to complex emergent phenomena. Examples include phase...

63. Fifty Years of Naples at CERN, 1976-2016

Lista, Luca (INFN-Napoli)

15/09/2026, 11:20

Physics in Naples

The INFN Unit of Naples and the Department of Physics of the Federico II University have been participating in CERN experiments since 1976, when the Neapolitan group joined the R209 collaboration at the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR). Since then, this collaboration has continued uninterrupted for fifty years. During this period, the groups from Naples have taken part in the main CERN...

59. The Former Physics Pavilions of the Mostra d'Oltremare and the Roots of the Neapolitan Schools of Physics

La Rana, Giovanni (INFN-Naples)

15/09/2026, 12:00

Physics in Naples

The former Physics Pavilions of the Mostra d'Oltremare in Naples represent an important chapter in the history of twentieth-century Italian physics. From the late 1950s onward, these buildings hosted the establishment of pioneering activities in theoretical and experimental physics that laid the foundations for the subsequent development of several fields of physics in the city.
After...

11. The Origins of Contemporary Artificial Intelligence between Statistical and Cybernetic Physics

Gagliardi, Francesco

15/09/2026, 12:40

Physics in Naples

This contribution reviews the historical roots of contemporary Artificial Intelligence, highlighting its connection to both twentieth-century Statistical physics and Cybernetics.
In the 1920s, within the field of statistical physics, the well‑known Ising–Lenz model was introduced. Over the course of the twentieth-century, it gained increasing relevance and also found applications in...

56. The Life and Science of Vittorio Silvestrini. His Legacy for Future Generations

Cioci, Vincenzo (Liceo scientifico "F. Sbordone" di Napoli - Sezione di Napoli dell'Associazione per l'Insegnamento della Fisica ETS)

15/09/2026, 13:05

Physics in Naples

This work presents Vittorio Silvestrini's noteworthy scientific achievements in the field of elementary particles and details his life, including the fundamental choices he made that have had such a significant impact on the relationship between science and society.
Vittorio Silvestrini left a profound mark on the history of Naples, primarily for having founded the Città della Scienza...