Telmo Pievani

About

Telmo Pievani (1970) is Full Professor at the Department of Biology, University of Padua, where he covers the first Italian chair of Philosophy of Biological Sciences, and visiting scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Since 2012, he also teaches Bioethics and Science Communication. From 2016 to 2023, he has been Rector’s Delegate for Institutional and Science Communication, University of Padua. Researcher in the field of Philosophy of Biology, after Ph.D. researches in USA with Niles Eldredge and Ian Tattersall, he has been Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Milan Bicocca (2001-2012). From 2017 to 2019, he has been President of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology, the first philosopher of science in this role. He is Fellow of several academic Institutions and scientific societies: Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Class of Sciences, Venice; Turin Academy of Sciences, Class of Biological Sciences; Accademia Olimpica in Vicenza, Class of Sciences and Technique; Ateneo di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Bergamo; Umberto Veronesi Foundation, Milan; WWF Italian Scientific Board. He is member of the editorial boards of Evolution: Education and Outreach, Evolutionary Biology, Rendiconti Lincei Sc. Fis. Nat., Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, Nature Italy, and Le Scienze, Italian edition of Scientific American.

He is author of 375 registered publications, included several books: “Introduction to Philosophy of Biology” (Laterza, 2005; Portuguese edition 2010); “The Theory of Evolution” (Il Mulino, 2006, new edition 2010); “Creation without God” (Einaudi, 2006; Spanish edition 2009); “In Defence of Darwin” (Bompiani, 2007); “Born to Believe” (Codice Edizioni, 2008, with V. Girotto and G. Vallortigara); “The Unexpected Life” (Cortina Editore, 2011); “Homo sapiens. The Great History of Human Diversity” (Codice Edizioni, 2011, with L.L. Cavalli Sforza), “Introduction to Darwin” (Laterza, 2012); “The End of the World” (Il Mulino, 2012); “Homo sapiens. The journey of humanity” (Atlas, Istituto Geografico De Agostini, 2013; French edition 2014 and 2019, German edition 2020, Dutch 2024); “Anatomy of a Revolution. The logic of scientific discovery in Darwin” (Mimesis, 2013); “Evolved and abandoned” (Einaudi, 2014); “Freedom of migration” (Einaudi, 2016, with V. Calzolaio); “How we will be. Stories of genetically modified humankind” (Codice Edizioni, 2016, with L. De Biase); “Imperfection. A natural history” (Cortina, 2019; English edition by MIT Press, 2022; Czech edition 2024); “The Earth after us” (Contrasto, 2019; with Frans Lanting’s photos); “Finitude” (Cortina, 2020); “A Journey through Italy in the Anthropocene” (with M. Varotto; Aboca, 2020); “Serendipity” (Cortina, 2021; English edition by MIT Press, 2024); “Nature is bigger than us” (Solferino, 2022); “Around the world in the Anthropocene” (Cortina, 2022; with M. Varotto, maps by F. Ferrarese; French edition 2024); “All Possible Worlds” (Cortina, 2024).

About science communication, he has been fellow of the Scientific Board of Genoa Science Festival (2003-2011), fellow of the International Scientific Council of MUSE – Museum of Sciences in Trento (2014-2024), now he is fellow of the Scientific Board of BergamoScienza. He is Director of “Pikaia”, the Italian website dedicated to evolution (www.pikaia.eu). He is Director of the University of Padua web magazine, Il Bo LIVE (https://ilbolive.unipd.it). With Niles Eldredge and Ian Tattersall, he curated the Italian edition of the International exhibition “Darwin 1809-2009” (Rome, Milan, Bari, 2009-2010). With Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza he curated the International exhibition “Homo sapiens. The Great History of Human Diversity”, hosted in Rome, November 2011-April 2012, at the Palace of Expositions (then in Trento, Novara and Milan). In 2014 he curated the permanent exhibitions of the “Garden of Biodiversity”, inside the historical Botanical Garden of Padua, UNESCO heritage. In 2023, he coordinated the realization of the Museum of Nature and Humankind in Padua.

In February 2024, the International Astronomical Union dedicated an asteroid to him: 120098 EJ50 2003.

Author of books for children and theatre scientific shows, he collaborates with RAI radio and TV projects, he is a columnist for Il Corriere della Sera, the major Italian newspaper, and the magazines Le Scienze and Micromega.