Communication and its economic, technological, cultural and ethical repercussions for society are the themes of the third edition of the seminar. The objective is to assess the impact of both traditional and non-traditional means of communication on a constantly changing society: the effects of new technology on social and economic organisation; its influence on the relationship between the public and "insiders", ranging from public administrators to scientists; the changes induced by the "virtual" in systems based on the physical movement of people and messages; and the transformation of an ever more global and "on-line" system of markets.
The development of the information society raises new questions about the relationship between culture and information, between the simple dissemination of data and the creation of an aware and critical approach to information. How can we best exploit new technology in educational systems that seek to reach the greatest number of users of every age group and background? What are the possible risks of the uncontrolled circulation of an increasing quantity of information?
The speed with which data and news are generated and the slower rhythms of learning and developing a systematic body of knowledge prompt a further question: how can we ensure that the standardisation of form and content does not erase the identity of cultures and languages? Or that the progressive specialisation of disciplines and languages does not undermine communication between experts from different fields?
Responses and new questions can emerge from the exchange of views between scientists, economists, intellectuals and politicians. Dialogue between the disciplines is the most fruitful approach to one of the key problems we face at the end of the millennium: how to guarantee access to the information necessary for the public to participate in an informed manner in decisions involving society as a whole.
Preparing Our Minds and Hearts for the 21st Century
Wednesday 6 December 1995
The information-oriented society facilitates an easy access to an enormous amount of data. The brain can be compared to a personal computer with an energy consumption of about 25 watts. In terms of memory capacity or computing speed, the human brain has not really changed much since the ancient times, and therefore we must constantly be inputting and deleting information: our human mind should save only the truly vital and relevant forms of information.

The powers of the human mind can, I suggest, be divided into two major categories. One is the power of the judicial mind, which allows human beings to understand fundamental principles and to make discretionary judgments. The other is the power of the creative mind, which involves the ability to create new ideas through the activity of the intellectual imagination. It is this form of intellectual activity - to "leave the beaten track and dive into the woods" - which provides the engine for progress and which has sustained the advance of human civilization.

The nature of education is one of the most critical issues facing society at any time. The education provided by our schools is primarily aimed at nurturing the judicial mind, it does not necessarily develop the creative mind. Regarding education's aims, there are two facets to consider - the "public" and the "private" realms. On the public side, education is thought to be a means of advancing the society or enhancing the economy. The purpose of private education is to bring out each student's uniqueness. It is important to balance both sides, endowing people with the skills essential to society, and helping form individual personality and creativity.

As we approach the dawn of the twenty-first century, we find ourselves faced with a mountain of unsolved problems such as: the preservation of the global environment; the resolution of ethnic conflicts; the finding of an effective response to the rapid growth in world population; the securing of adequate food, raw materials, and energy resources; the achievement of sustainable economic growth; and many others. Janus, the ancient Roman god, was able to see both sides of everything and so exercised great insight and penetrative powers. I believe that the dual perspective, the Janus-like qualities, could help to solve these difficult problems.

The resulting essay has been translated into Italian and published in the book Dall'informazione alla cultura. Dieci Nobel per il futuro. (Marsilio, Venezia 1996).