The IBSA Foundation is bringing the Italian podcast - which has garnered over 100 million listens - to Switzerland for the first time, with a special live episode that is free and open to the public. The evening demonstrated how science can be woven into the language of contemporary entertainment.
Lugano, June 22, 2026 – A full house at the Palazzo dei Congressi for the Swiss premiere of Tintoria Podcast, the show created and hosted by Daniele Tinti and Stefano Rapone, who recorded a live episode for the occasion with special guest Dario Bressanini. The event, which was free and open to the public, was organised by the IBSA Foundation under the patronage of the City of Lugano.
Dario Bressanini, Special Guest
The evening’s guest was Dario Bressanini, a professor of chemistry in the Department of Science and Advanced Technology at the University of Insubria, as well as an essayist and science communicator with over one million followers on his social media channels.
After a lighthearted opening on local topics-from chocolate to neutrality-the conversation brought out insights and interesting facts, showing how chemistry is present in everyday actions: from boiling water to the ingredient list at the supermarket.
The audience listened with interest to scientific anecdotes and practical explanations that transformed abstract concepts into useful tools for interpreting everyday life.
Bressanini is known for his analytical, data-driven approach: as a university professor, he brings to the stage his habit of verifying evidence before drawing conclusions and debunking myths with experiments and numbers.
During the evening, he briefly touched on some themes from his book "The Thermodynamic Diet", in which he analyses metabolism, caloric intake, and food quality using quantitative tools to test widely held nutritional claims.
The recording will be available on major audio and video platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.
A New Language for Science Communication
With this event, the IBSA Foundation ventured into the podcast format for the first time - a medium capable of reaching wider audiences and bridging the gap between science and society. The choice of “Tintoria” is no coincidence: launched in 2018 as the first Italian podcast hosted by comedians, it has built a loyal community over the years and developed a unique format - the direct, unscripted interview - capable of putting any guest at ease and sparking unexpected conversations.
Numerous figures from the worlds of film, music, journalism, and culture (from Roberto Saviano to Carlo Verdone, from Cecilia Sala to Paolo Sorrentino) have appeared on stage alongside Tinti and Rapone, confirming the Tintoria format’s ability to address complex topics in accessible language.
An Evolving Approach to Science Communication
The event in Lugano is part of a broader initiative that the IBSA Foundation has been pursuing for years, experimenting with different forms of expression to bring science to increasingly diverse audiences: from artistic and musical performances to workshops for schools, and from dialogues between scientists and artists to film. The collaboration with Tintoria represents another step in this direction.
“We believe that today, science communication must also be able to find a place within the realms of everyday conversation and cultural entertainment” - Silvia Misiti
