During her Lincean Lecture, Elena Cattaneo explored the critical intersection between science and collective decision-making. The scientist examined the bond between verifiable evidence and public policy, warning that democracy itself is compromised when it drifts away from objective facts. Drawing on her experiences in the Senate, Cattaneo emphasized that the scientific method—pioneered by Galileo Galilei—is far from a 'mere opinion'; rather, it is a robust framework built on continuous peer review and international testing. She argued that the credibility of science stems from its collective nature: knowledge becomes 'solid' only when subjected to the scrutiny of millions of eyes. Turning to national policy, the Senator highlighted the staggering costs of ignoring data, specifically citing the two-decade hiatus in GMO research that forces Italy to import 10,000 tons of feed daily, at an annual loss of one billion euros. Finally, she criticized the inconsistencies of Law 40, pointing out the hypocrisy of banning the derivation of stem cell lines while permitting their import—a paradox that actively hinders promising treatments for Parkinson’s disease.".
Cattaneo highlighted the paradox of animal testing regulations, noting that the 2014 restrictions were repeatedly deferred for eleven years until their eventual repeal in 2026—a timeline she described as a 'violation of logic.' Regarding the Messina Strait Bridge project, the scientist critiqued the tendency to bypass geological evidence concerning the active faults at Cannitello and Scilla. She compared the dismissal of ground acceleration data to the use of obsolete medical equipment, emphasizing the danger of ignoring technical reality.
Her analysis further addressed the rise of pseudoscience, such as 'motocross therapy,' characterizing it as an exercise of power that seeks to impose alternative realities—a modern echo of Orwell’s 1984, where 'two plus two equals five.' To explain these phenomena, she pointed to the neuroscientific conflict between the amygdala, the center of irrational instincts, and the cerebral cortex, which requires constant learning to thrive. The Senator concluded with a call for the permanent integration of expertise into public institutions, arguing that only by anchoring national policy in scientific evidence can the country be rescued from irrationality.