The 2009 Science in Society Facts and Figures
Il Mulino publishing

Data and information to help understand the state and transformation of research and innovation in our society.
Edited by Valeria Arzenton and Massimiano Bucchi

"Data like these should not be published in specialistic journals, but they should be presented on the front pages of all top newspapers to awaken everyone" (Tullio de Mauro)

Which is the European country with the youngest researchers? And the one where researchers obtain more European funds for research? Which Italian regions do more research and development? What are the most relevant environmental problems, according to Italian citizens? How many Italians read scientific books?

The 2009 Science and Society Facts and Figures, fifth edition of the book edited by Observa, proposes a synthetic and accessible coherent set of information and data, originating from the most reliable national and international sources, useful for the understanding of the current state, and possible future transformations, of research and of innovation in our society: human resources and investments destined to research and innovation, patents and use of new technologies, public orientations towards science, a chronology of the main events that marked the relationship between science and society during 2008, the volumes published on these issues last year.
A special section, Italians, science and the environment. Second report on science, technology and public opinion in Italy offers an updated picture of the relationships between science and citizenry in our Country.

The book, published by Il Mulino, with the support of Compagnia di San Paolo can be purchased at local bookstores and on the web (ISBN 978-88-15-12774-7).

Read some of the most interesting data included in the Science and Society Facts and Figures 2009:

Italians and science. Interested, confident, even though concerns are on the rise

The Italian research: low wages, high productivity in some sectors and wide regional differences

Italians are worried for the environment even though sometimes more in words than in their actions.