Pierpaolo FerlainoinThe wind behind meThe man and the SupernovaeIn the early 19th century, British scientist Thomas Dick proposed creating a group of astronomers to observe the lunar surface 24/7 and…4 min read·Feb 12, 2024----
Pierpaolo FerlainoEl Dorado. The man who became cityWhen he reached the place they pointed him to, Pizarro only found trees and scrub brush. No gold. The Indios had lied. But one thing he…7 min read·Jan 26, 2023----
Pierpaolo FerlainoHorace Benedict De Saussure. What hue is the blue of the sky?Many pass by it without noticing. Others just cast a glance at it. Some stop to mirror themselves on its shiny surface, to check their…4 min read·Dec 30, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoHow a small church in Athens ended up under the arcades of a buildingSeen from the Parthenon or Lycabettus hilltops, Athens is a silver-white sea of low-rise houses, resulting from the sequence of demolitions…2 min read·Sep 20, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoOne night at the Opera dei Pupi in PalermoThe little green door on Via Bara all’Olivella is still closed. It might look like a craftsman’s workshop, like many others on the same…4 min read·Aug 13, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoOtto Witte, the clown who became King of AlbaniaIn a muddy courtyard in the heart of Hamburg, an old man with a thick white moustache sits outside a ramshackle wooden carriage. On the…7 min read·Jul 31, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoThe pathological science of polywaterWhat would happen if all the water on Earth suddenly changed state? If it evaporated, solidified or became a disgusting jelly? Most living…6 min read·Jul 15, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoSberge and merendelle. The scent of summer in south ItalyIn some areas of Southern Italy, the scent of summer marked by the sweet fragrance of merendelle.2 min read·Jul 14, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoThe Bal Des Ardents«I am simply Hop-Frog, the jester — and this is my last jest». Those are the words uttered by the protagonist of Edgar Allan Poe’s…4 min read·Jul 3, 2022----
Pierpaolo FerlainoThe ghosts of Spree Park, BerlinThin wisps of smoke rise from the chimney of a green sailing ship. Families meet with friends on the quay to spend a sunny Sunday together…5 min read·May 3, 2022----