[ExI] The Pope-Politicians-Physicists-Maiani Affair

[Amara Graps]

When we last left the viewers to the Italian soap-opera, they heard
about the physicists' private-letter-made-public objecting to the Rome
La Sapienza rector's invitation to the Pope to speak at the university's
inaugural event, the students' sit-in against the Pope's speaking, the
Pope's withdrawal of his visit, the Italian politicians' reprisal
against one of the letter's signatures: Professor Maiani, to block his
CNR presidential candidacy, and words from Prof. Maiani, himself on the
whole situation.  Links are included below.

For some time it looked like CNR's appointment of Maiani was stalled:
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/maianis-confirmation-at-cnr-stuck-in-the-mud/

Especially when the Italian Parliament kicked into high gear, showing
their own stellar qualities.

Gabriella Carlucci, a showgirl-Parliamentarian in the Forza Italia
party, expressed her public opposition to the appointment of Luciano
Maiani as President of CNR, with stratospheric-level criticisms on his
scientific qualifications. Her criticisms  prompted Sheldon Glashow,
colleague of Maiani and Nobel Laureate in Physics, to write to the
Italian prime minister, Romani Prodi, in order to correct her errors.
Sra Carlucci, further responded, thrusting her foot into her mouth and
out the other side:

"If Maiani and his friends are, as you say, stellar luminaries highly
esteemed throughout the world, why did they never win a Nobel prize ?
Yet, italian Particle Physics (and in particular that in Rome) is in
percentage and absolute value among the best financed in the world."


The dialog is below on Tommaso Dorigo's blog:

Glashow humiliates Carlucci on Maiani's appointment
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/glashow-humiliates-carlucci-on-maianis-appointment/

At this time, Professor Maiani, is indeed nominated to head Italy's 
largest research network.

Stay tuned for the next installment of As the
As the Mondo-di-Pope-Politicians-Physicists-Maiani Turns.

Amara


Previous Links:
----------------

Storm over Rome: Physicists against Pope Ratzinger
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/storm-over-rome-physicists-against-pope-ratzinger/

Summarized for you: the aborted speech of Pope Ratzinger
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/summarized-for-you-the-aborted-speech-of-pope-ratzinger/

Ratzinger divides, Maiani unites
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/ratzinger-divides-maiani-unites/

Maiani speaks on the Ratzinger Affair
http://dorigo.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/maiani-speaks-on-the-ratzinger-affair/


-- 

Amara Graps, PhD      www.amara.com
Research Scientist, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, Colorado