Hey everyone, today I want to talk about a great singer who made music history: Whitney Houston, who would be 60 today. The best voice of the last century: a three-octave range that made her the woman of records. She was the first to top the US Billboard Hot 100, remaining in first position for forty-six weeks (only Taylor Swift will surpass her by a week in 2020). A talent capable of spanning several decades without difficulty: adhering to the dance trends of the Eighties with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," able to definitively consecrate herself with the ballads of the Nineties like "I Have Nothing," and perfectly current with R&B and hip-hop of the early 2000s with "One of Those Days." Houston made her music her creed and totally revolutionized the fate of pop-soul. Her story, however, was restless.   Whitney's turbulent life was the subject of a documentary directed by Oscar winner Kevin MacDonald and presented at the Cannes Fi...

What if Shakespeare’s plays were never written by Shakespeare, but by a young Italian poet, born in London, named John Florio? The Director Stefano Reali wrote a book about it, “Shakespeare Ænigma,” which he presented on the 1st of February 2024 in the Teatro Sala Umberto in Rome. The author shared with the public the story about the true (hidden for over four centuries) identity of the greatest playwright of all time. A work of research and study perpetuated for 10 long years, that of Stefano Reali, who was able to translate into the drafting of a masterpiece of contemporary literature that can make sprout the awareness of a truth that no one has ever known—or wanted—to tell. But how did Stefano Reali think to tell such a complex story? He claimed to have always been impressed by the greatness of an author like William Shakespeare. He began to have doubts about his authorship and for this reason he began to study, to document himself, even comparing himself with the archives of Geneva...

  Who is Giovanni Allevi? Giovanni Allevi is a prominent Italian philosopher, writer, and artist, born in Ascoli Piceno on April 9, 1969. His exceptional talent in piano led him to graduate from the Francesco Morlacchi Conservatory in Perugia and later from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where he also obtained a degree in Philosophy. Following his service in the Italian army band in 1991, he embarked on a successful career performing in theaters across Italy, eventually relocating to Milan to fully dedicate himself to the piano. Despite facing controversy, Allevi also shared his passion by teaching at a state secondary school in Milan. His international tours took him to cities such as Beijing, Paris, New York, Madrid, London, and Vienna, where he held his last concert. What disease does Giovanni Allevi suffer from? In 2022, Giovanni Allevi revealed on social media that he had to suspend his commitments due to his battle with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer ...

  The Monasteries of Subiaco, including the Sacro Speco and the Monastery of Santa Scolastica, have been nominated as UNESCO candidates. This award celebrates the rich Benedictine monastic heritage and their influence on European history. This decision was made by the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, chaired by Franco Bernabè, as a recognition of the historical and cultural importance of these places. In particular, two monasteries, the Sacro Speco and the Monastery of Santa Scolastica, stand out for their significant Benedictine heritage. The Sacro Speco is the place where Saint Benedict of Norcia meditated and wrote the famous Benedictine "Rule," a document that has profoundly influenced monastic life. Here, the Saint spent three years in prayer, giving life to the rule "Ora Et Labora," which emphasizes the balance between prayer and work. This site is an important piece in the history of Christian spirituality. A heritage to be protected: other candidate m...

  Introduction After the introduction of ChatGPT, people started using it as a search engine for complex queries and custom responses, eliminating the time needed to visit pages and pages on Google to find the right answers, but there was a problem: while it would return usually meaningful and useful results, it sometimes returns also dummy results that were just generated. To overcome this, some companies, including OpenAI itself, started melting the generative power of LLMs (large language models) with the results of traditional search engines. All this resulted in the creation of the so-called “AI search engines”. In this article, I’m going to show you some of the best options of AI search engines.   ChatGPT (extra)   You’re asking, why did I put there ChatGPT if I just said it was the problem that brought to AI search engines? Well, actually ChatGPT became one of them, kind of… let me explain… to solve the problem of dummy results, a plugin for web search was ...

Have you ever played a musical instrument? Perhaps at school or attending private lessons? Though it might seem like a "light" and leisurely activity, studying music with an instrument is very challenging and demanding.  It's a continuous and inexhaustible stimulus that could last an entire lifetime! The ceaseless involvement required in musical participation may be the minor aspect that brings value to musical education, though it is often neglected in debates about the aim of music in school education. Indeed, in several studies (see, for example, Pitts, 2012), it is clearly shown that music learning—particularly learning to play an instrument—brings lifelong benefits even for those who no longer play: first, it improves listening capability and attention to details. And if you play in a musical group (a band, an orchestra...), you develop a better team spirit and team-working ability.  If you are thinking right now that you are "too old" to learn a musical in...

When we talk about Virtual Reality, people often perceive it as a technology of the future, unaware that we can utilize it in the present day due to modern advancements. But what is Virtual Reality? Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear real, immersing the user in their surroundings. This technology is accessed through devices called Virtual Reality sets or helmets. These devices cost a significant amount due to their inclusion of precious materials and cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D audio, capable of enhancing the immersive experience. VR enables users to immerse themselves in video games as if they were characters, learn surgical techniques, or enhance sports training to maximize performance. Various brands, including Apple, produce their own Virtual Reality machines. For instance, Apple's Vision Pro, announced during an event, integrates advanced technology into an elegant and compact form, representing Apple's mo...

  Like Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, hello there! This time, instead of talking about what-if physics or aviation, let’s dive into the world of cinema! I just had the pleasure of watching good old Martin Scorsese’s latest film: ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’. With an outstanding cast led by Leonardo Di Caprio and Robert De Niro, I truly believe ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ is one of the best movies of 2023 along with Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’. Without further ado, who’s Martin Scorsese? -        Hollywood’s greatest   Born in 1942, Martin Scorsese is one of the best and most important directors and screenwriters since the birth of cinema. He’s the man behind masterpieces like ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘The Good Fellas’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘The Departed’. Fundamental themes of his movies are human’s relationship with violence and the concepts of sin, guilt, and morality. His works are characterized by great virtuosity and attention to detail, thank...