Artribune Podcast: De Masi and Rumiati on Society, Work, and Neuroscience

The Artribune podcast series "Contemporaneamente," curated by Mariantonietta Firmani, features a dialogue between sociologist Domenico De Masi and cognitive neuroscientist Raffaella Rumiati. They discuss the evolution of work from manual to cognitive to creative, the interplay between motor systems and perception, language, and memory, and the ethical implications of cognitive enhancement. De Masi, professor emeritus of Sociology of Work at Sapienza University of Rome and author of "L'ozio creativo," argues that while life expectancy has doubled in affluent countries, neoliberal dominance remains hidden through media and economic crises. Rumiati, professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA Trieste and director of the iNSuLa lab, highlights how neuropsychology analyzes physiological measures of mental processes and cognitive reserve. The podcast explores the tension between local and global, individual and society, and male and female thought, aiming to build a broad, objective understanding of reality. Rumiati has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and received the Bessel Prize in 2003 and the Women in Cognitive Science Mentorship Award in 2006. De Masi founded the S3.Studium consultancy and has directed journals like "FOR" and "NEXT." The episode is available on Spreaker.