Filippo Bonaventura, a graduate in Astrophysics and Space Physics from UniTS, is a science communicator and editorial coordinator for “Geopop.” He managed the outreach project “Chi ha paura del buio?” (Who’s Afraid of the Dark?) and has authored several books on astronomy.

Here is what he shared with us!

It is not a given that a scientist will develop a passion for outreach. When did you realize you had a knack for it?

I think it happened while I was writing my thesis. As I progressed, I realized that writing the introductory and descriptive sections—where I explained the foundational concepts for my research—was far more enjoyable for me than performing the actual research itself. That was the moment I understood I preferred sharing acquired knowledge rather than producing new knowledge. And I was good at it, too. So, my plans for the future changed: instead of pursuing a PhD—which is the standard path for an astrophysics graduate—I aimed to enter the world of science communication.

Did you have a mentor or an inspirational figure during your journalistic and editorial journey?

I can’t emphasize enough how formative my experience at the Master’s in Science Communication at SISSA was, which I attended after graduating. It was the professors and my fellow students who completely overhauled my mindset, effectively transforming me from a "man of science" into a communicator. I essentially owe everything that followed to them. As for my other influences, my guiding lights have been Carl Sagan, Michael Stevens (the founder of the wonderful YouTube channel “Vsauce”), and naturally—it couldn't be any other way—our very own Piero Angela.

What would you say to your past and future self regarding your career and personal growth?

I don’t think I have much to say to my past self, because I was lucky enough to do exactly what I wanted. The only advice I would give the younger Filippo is not to worry too much about the opinions of others. To my future self, however, I would say: never lose sight of creativity. It is easy to forget it when you turn this activity into a job, but we must remember that those in science communication are essentially storytellers. When we tell stories creatively, we have more fun and find much greater satisfaction.