Repetita iuvant

Psychological studies have shown that rehearsal of the same information again and again in the mind accelerates and potentiates the degree of transfer of short-term memory into long-term memory and therefore accelerates and potentiates consolidation. The brain has a natural tendency to rehearse newfound information that catches the mind’s attention. Therefore, over a period of time, the important features of sensory experiences become progressively more and more fixed in the memory stores. This explains why a person can remember small amounts of information studied in depth far better than large amounts of information studied only superficially. It also explains why a person who is wide awake can consolidate memory far better than a person who is in a state of mental fatigue.

One of the most important features of consolidation is that new memories are codified into different classes of information. During this process, similar types of information are pulled from the memory storage bins and used to help process the new information. The new and old are compared for similaritiesand differences, and part of the storage process is to store the information about these similarities and differences, rather than only to store the new information unprocessed. Thus, during modification, the new memories are not stored randomly in the brain but are stored in direct association with other memories of the same type. This is necessary if one is to be able to “search” the memory store at a later date to find the required information.

- Guyton and Hall, Textbook of Medical Physiology (10th Edition)

Fertility vote collapses

The referendum has failed to reach the 50% turnout figure necessary for it to be valid. Only about 25,9% of Italian voters cast their ballots in the two-day referendum.

Excluded those unable to reach the polling places for external causes, the result has proved that about 74,1% of Italians are either persons who don’t give a damn, or ignorants, or arrogants (those who deliberately didn’t vote to impose their opinion on the others).

This is a clear demonstration Italy has a system which facilitates these kind of persons to rule the destiny of the country; how can there be hopes of progress in such conditions?

Turnout has been affected by a call for abstention made by the Catholic Church. I feel a strong sense of discomfort and also some kind of disgust thinking about it. Taking advantage of the disengagement and the indifference often shown from Italians in occasions like this one to induce the abstension seems deeply immoral to me, especially from an Institution which cannot be regardless about the morality.

Assisted fertility

Italians are being called to the polls on Sunday and Monday (12th and 13th of June) in a referendum on revoking controversial rules on assisted fertility. The ground rules of Italian referendums are that, irrespective of the proportion of “yes” and “no” votes, more than 50% of registered voters have to turn out in order for a ballot to be valid.

What is happening is that those contrary on revoking such rules have been promoting a campaign to boycott the referendum in order to invalidate it so that, joining to those who will not go to vote, they will have better chances to have things on their side.

I believe that for such a delicate and complex topic it cannot be stated what is right and what is wrong, in an absolute way, otherwise there wouldn’t be the need for a referendum. Therefore I think it is right to do what the majority of people believe and hence is very important that everyone will go to vote.

I will do what I consider to be fair and what my conscience tells me is right. I will go to vote not with the claim of being from the right side, nor with the hope to win: I have full respect of both the positions and I will truly and sincerely accept the decision of the majority whatever it will turn out to be.

I totally disapprove the act of boycotting the poll: this attitude is despotic, arrogant and anti-democratic. The people who will act like that will impose their opinion on the others, and this is intolerably unfair, independently on which side will turn out to be the right one.