A letter of the Scientific Director Giorgio Metta to the “big IIT family”
Dear IIT friends,We are all aware of the very peculiar historical moment we’re going through. Imagine one day in the future your children (or grandchildren, if you’re not so young anymore) asking: “Mom, how could you communicate during the coronavirus quarantine without 8G-teleoperated robots and Hyper Virtual Reality?”. The present lockdown is clearly stressful. Many of us have families far away and cannot travel to see them. Being constrained and socially isolated at homes, for so many days, certainly takes a psychological toll. We are also worried about the accumulating backlog and the experiments “abandoned” in the lab. It is tough.In spite of this, I would like to encourage everyone to be optimistic. We are taking a stand, we are not letting the virus stop our vision for a better world through science, we are IIT!Yes, we have to work in isolation from home, but we know how to do it. We communicate through all possible means, we organize meetings (and, at times, virtual aperitifs), and we keep thinking of new solutions to scientific problems. We can study, learn, prepare new projects. As soon as we are back, we’ll be smarter and stronger. Be responsible and safe in the meantime. Follow all precautions.In the future, it will also be important to convince our policy makers that science and technology are key to a quick recovery. Research is the solution to humanity’s problems.I would like to support our “big IIT family” by all possible means. Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions, requests, suggestions. I can’t guarantee a quick reply but rest assured that I will read all messages.Stay safe!Giorgio
