Identity card
Name: Valerio Lombardo
Years: 52 years
Qualification: Researcher
Location: Rome ONT
Field of activity: Volcanic monitoring
Favorite color: Black (because it wears out ..) :D
Do you know a joyful child? I assure you that he may even be 52 years old. Valerio is a concentrate of optimism and joviality. He always welcomes you with a smile and a really infectious laugh in the background. He is a super nerd, he does not hide his love for the pc but he can be very sociable. He believes in friendship and has clear ideas on many issues where nothing would be able to move him from his workstation. Let's get to know this guy who, among his many qualities, is able to create magma chambers in 3D and let you experience and learn about volcanoes… only a super nerd can do so much!
What or who brought you closer to the world of science?
I have always been very attracted to research and the natural sciences. At the beginning I chose Engineering at university, but it wasn't my thing. After the military I chose Geology.
As a child, what did you dream of becoming when you grew up?
I followed my nature. When it was necessary to do scientific research, I was always in the foreground, I was given books on science, volcanoes and all the naturalistic aspects of our planet.
What subjects were you passionate about at school?
I liked Physics very much, but also literary subjects such as History and Philosophy.
What teenager were you?
I was truly a nerd. Always attracted to computers and information technology. I spent hours and hours glued to the Commodore 64. I didn't just play with it…at 16 I was programming. My parents had to kick me out of the house…only when I had to go play football did I go out with great pleasure.
Was there a reference "myth" that inspired you?
I have always been self-taught, as a model I would say some researchers, especially at the beginning of my career, who helped me understand the world of research.
What memories do you have of your university career?
I remember the years in Geology as a liberation, after the terrible first year of Engineering...the professor there was a mythological figure...in Geology, on the other hand, it was fantastic to enter a human dimension and I went back to being that not excellent but discreet student , graduating with ease.
The most exciting moment of your career?
I would say the day I was hired at INGV after 18 years of temporary employment.
But the most emotional moment in your private life?
The experience of studying in the United States was one of the most exciting moments. But I would also include all the missions and experiences I have had over the years. Knowing cultures that are extremely different from ours excited me a lot.
What do you think you would have become if you hadn't been a researcher?
Computer scientist, certainly... it's not exciting, I know... Instead, if I had to fly with the imagination, I'd say the footballer.
How long have you been at INGV?
I joined in 1997, right after graduation. I supported myself as a country geologist, but I also worked at McDonald's.
What's the first thing you do when you get home?
Restarting the pc!
How did you experience the lockdown period at the beginning of the pandemic?
At home I may have worked even better than when I work at the Institute. Saving two hours by car to reach and leave the workplace is no small feat… But today I can tell you that a nerd like me now needs to get back to a normal life.
What is, in your opinion, the scientific discovery that would change history?
Finding clean and unlimited energy… exploitable. We need to look to the future, we are in a technological age that needs clean and sustainable energy.
A city you've visited that has remained in your heart and one you've always dreamed of moving to?
I'm in love with Venice, above all because there are no cars and I hate the traffic…
What have been your best trips?
United States, Iceland…landscapes unedited compared to ours…so striking…without a doubt.
What would you have liked to discover, among the discoveries of the past?
I would have liked to understand the internal combustion engine…I saw my high school friends tinkering with their mopeds and I always envied them, not knowing how to imitate them. For me inside the hood of the car there is black magic!
What is your main concern?
Going back to a certain university period ... I still happen to dream of having to do my thesis but I still have two exams to take ... I wake up and wonder "How can I do?!"Well, this makes me a little anxious.
The conversation you've never had and would have liked to have…with whom?
Leonardo Da Vinci…he is truly a cornerstone of our culture and knowledge.
As a researcher, is everything always explicable?
Absolutely no. Even in my field when I write an article I always have a lot of doubts. I always hope that my articles are always a starting point for discussion. I worry more when they are accepted like this, without comment. Because when there is discussion I think of three things: if they have read it, they have done it well and maybe something constructive will come out of it.
Your promise kept and the one you failed to keep…
Getting to do what I liked. I am a satisfied man. Let's fly over the one that is not maintained…
Your love at first sight?
Always the computer, love at first sight. Never had a lasting love like with him ((smiles).
What's your X-Factor?
Optimism.
You like sport?
Yes, especially football and boxing. I've been practicing the latter for a few years…it gives you all the sensations of life, the effort, the desire to give up, to get up again…but you have to get to the end. I practice it as a total amateur but I love it.
Listen to the music?
I love music, even of different genres: I go from Rock to Techno house. I'm quite eclectic… the important thing is that it's rhythmic.
Favourite book?
"The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco.
One thing you understood “when you grew up”?
To grant friendship and trust with a little more care.
What do you keep from your childhood?
The enthusiasm… has never passed.
Any advice for those starting to do research?
Do what you like. Use your skills in what you like. Reinvent yourself in research. The passion for information technology, in my case, has allowed me to achieve the goals I set for myself.
Last question: what is the song that you would never stop listening to?
I'll make you laugh… “Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic.