There is a lot to be said about optimism. Some might think of it as an innate trait – which cannot be acquired; some might consider it an attitude, which you can practice; some might even go further and call it delulu. Or, if you are the author of a published peer-reviewed paper, you can define it as “a psychological attribute characterized as the general expectation that good things will

I am a scientist, I have been for a couple of decades now. I appreciate the complexity of life at the molecular level, and the limitations to our understanding, but I always had a very clear stance on the woo element: I believe in data, in hard evidence, in numbers and proofs. As such, I always distanced myself from religion, despite my solid catholic upbringing; I cannot stand astrology, although I

This Saturday, June 20th, Sweden, like some other Countries in the Northern hemisphere, will celebrate Midsummer. Midsummer, or Midsommar, is an ancient festival celebrating the summer solstice and the peak of the harvest season. Rooted in pre-Christian agrarian traditions across Northern Europe, it honors light, nature, and fertility. Interestingly, it is said that on Midsummer night, the veil between the human and supernatural worlds is at its thinnest, and it

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you might have used, been pressured to use or even enjoying using the new hot guy, the agentic artificial intelligence. First of all: yes, I believe it is a guy – the mansplaining, the patronizing, the unwavering confidence…sounds like it has (or whished it had) a Y chromosome. Jokes (or not?) aside: while the praise and the conspiracy theories grow like weeds,

Yesterday I had the pleasure to gather with a few friends and celebrate my 44th birthday. Per se, this event is nothing exceptional: according to Google, approximately 100 to 110 million people are expected to turn 44 years old worldwide this year. Of this, I might assume a large proportion might decide to gather with friends and family, and have a small celebration like I did. Then, why does it

A few days ago, I had lunch with a dear friend. As many of my friends with kids, his schedule is a Tetris game, making sure all pieces fit smoothly and nothing, or nobody, gets neglected. Although not a parent, I deeply feel the hurdles of parenthood at this age and in this era, where you are supposed to prioritise the little ones while caring about your careers, and you

When I started my academic and professional life, I had a very clear path in mind: get good grades, get a degree, get high impact factor publications, get recognized by peers, get a good position, get promoted. Get Get Get. Climb Climb Climb. Be bold. Be Ambitious. Be Brave. Never have I ever felt like I was not striving for more, so focused on the conveyor belt of the professional

Well, not me. Let me explain. I have been inventorying my jewels recently, as part of my spring decluttering spree (which I talked about here), and I found a few pieces with an infinite loop shape, which sent me down a rabbit hole of scientific and philosophical debate. For instance, I saw an article by Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports-medicine physician at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. The article

I have never been a plant person – or so I thought. Over the years, I learned to remember to water the potted plants, and I realized I like to have something green and colourful in my apartment. Even so, I cannot count the times I made some poor basil fade, or a water lily wither and slowly die. Then, I spent a few days with my family in Italy

End of March, past the Spring Equinox. Nature is awakening, and even the cold Swedish winter is caving to sunlight and warmth. Every time this time comes, I start experiencing the same awakening, which encompasses every aspect of my life. With spring, I feel the energy renewed, and a faster, lighter pace for my daily activities, my routines, and even my clothes. With the warmer and brighter days, indoor activities