Rita Levi-Montalcini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈrita ˈlɛvi montalˈtʃini]; 22 April 1909 – 30 December 2012) was an Italian neurologist who, together with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF). Also, from 2001, until her death, she served in the Italian Senate as a Senator for Life.
Rita Levi-Montalcini had been the oldest living Nobel laureate and the first ever to reach a 100th birthday. On 22 April 2009, she was feted with a 100th birthday party at Rome's city hall.
Born on 22 April 1909 at Turin to a wealthy Italian family, she and her twin sister Paola were the youngest of four children. Her parents were Adamo Levi, an electrical engineer and mathematician, and Adele Montalcini, a painter.
In her teenage years, she considered becoming a writer and admired Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf. Adamo discouraged his children from attending college as he feared it would disrupt their lives as wives and mothers but he eventually supported Levi-Montalcini's aspirations to become a doctor anyway. Levi-Montalcini decided to attend University of Turin Medical School after seeing a close family friend die of stomach cancer. While attending, she was taught by neurohistologist Giuseppe Levi who introduced her to the developing nervous system.
Rita Levi-Montalcini died in her home in Rome on 30 December 2012 at the age of 103.
Upon her death, the Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, stated it was a great loss "for all of humanity." He praised her as someone who represented "civic conscience, culture and the spirit of research of our time." Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack told Sky TG24 TV in a tribute to her fellow scientist, "She is really someone to be admired." Italy's premier, Mario Monti, paid tribute to Levi-Montalcini's "charismatic and tenacious" character and for her lifelong endeavor to "defend the battles in which she believed."
In 1968, she became the tenth woman elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences.
In 1983, she was awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University.
In 1986, Levi-Montalcini and collaborator Stanley Cohen received the Nobel Prize in Medicine, as well as the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.
In 1987, she received the National Medal of Science, the highest American scientific honor.
In 1991, she received the Laurea Honoris Causa in Medicine from the University of Trieste, Italy. On that occasion, she expressed her desire to formulate a Carta of Human Duties as necessary counterpart of the too much neglected Declaration of Human Rights. The vision of Rita Levi-Montalcini came true with the issuing of the Trieste Declaration of Human Duties and the foundation in 1993 of the International Council of Human Duties, ICHD, at the University of Trieste.
In 1999, Levi-Montalcini was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) by FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.
In 2001, she was nominated Senator-for-life by the Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
In 2006, Levi-Montalcini received the degree Honoris Causa in Biomedical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin, in her native city.
In 2008, she received the PhD Honoris Causa from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
She was a founding member of Città della Scienza.
On her religious views, Rita was born into a Jewish family and later become a professed atheist.
Saggio estremamente attuale, nonostante risalga ad inizio anni 2000. È ricco di spunti di riflessione sia a livello individuale che collettivo. Consigliato.
Un libro di poco spessore: propone troppe riflessioni in troppo poco spazio sulla complessità del presente (i giovani, le donne, la tecnologia, i diritti, le risorse). In tutto questo, la scienza e la razionalità sarebbero le luci da seguire. Sicuramente è invecchiato male ma già quando è stato scritto non era forse un capolavoro. Alcuni passaggi farebbero allibire qualsiasi antropologo (frasi buttate lì come il fatto che saper leggere e scrivere sia fondamentale per "accedere alla cultura") e la questione femminile è trattata in modo discutibile (basti pensare che nonostante la veemenza con cui si affermi l'importanza delle donne e della loro "non inferiorità", le citazioni di donne di spicco sono forse un paio, mentre citazioni di uomini - siano essi scienziati, politici o letterati - sono innumerevoli). Ho letto altri libri dell'autrice, scienziata e vincitrice di premio Nobel, in cui racconta la sua storia personale, e li reputo preziosissime testimonianze. I discorsi "tuttologi" però secondo me sono da evitare. Fanno più male che bene, chiunque li faccia.