Palaeontologist and marine biologist, with a long experience in science popularisation, he is also fond of archaeology and history, and indulges in music (playing piano and recording albums with his bands), boardgames, roleplaying games, fantasy and sci-fi novels, miniature painting, lightsaber dueling, and historical reenactment. Oh, of course he loves Star Wars and mythology. He works at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, the marine biology institute in Napoli, Italy.