According to the great scientist Pierre Curie, it is asymmetry (i.e. a lack of balance) that gives rise to phenomena.
In other words, whenever there is a difference between two conditions (such as temperature, pressure or concentration), a gradient is created: an invisible force that sets the world in motion.
Gradients are everywhere: in nature, in society, in the economy. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, for example, are generated by pressure gradients: when a critical threshold is reached, the system must release energy. The same mechanism underlies climate change: the more CO₂ we accumulate in the atmosphere, the more the temperature rises.
Understanding gradients helps us to respect the planet's balance and to better interpret the phenomena around us, especially when we do not have the power to change them.
With Carlo Doglioni, professor of geodynamics and researcher, former president of the Italian Geological Society and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).