Oggi 19/10/2026, il nostro fondatore Salvatore spadaro ha partecipato alla commemorazione della Strage del pane di via Maqueda del 1944 presso Palazzo Comitini.
da completare......
Oggi 19/10/2026, il nostro fondatore Salvatore spadaro ha partecipato alla commemorazione della Strage del pane di via Maqueda del 1944 presso Palazzo Comitini.
da completare......
Il nostro fondatore Salvatore Spadaro: unica vera opposizione al sistema mafioso-massonico che comanda in Sicilia dal 1860 continua a subire censure perchè in molto, anche nelle cosidette istituzioni hanno paura che si dica la verità.
Nel mese di luglio scorso, è avvenuto un fatto gravissimo relativo al processo per il reato di ''diffamazione'' che Amedeo Russo ha intentato contro il nostro fondatore. La classica SLAPP: Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Partecipation per mettere a tacere il nostro fondatore che ha le spalle larghe a differenza di tanti ''sicilianisti'. Amedeo Russo e i suoi figli possiedono, lo ricordiamo, un terreno confinante con la sede del Partitoe l'abitazione del nostro fondatore Salvatore Spadaro. Tale terreno ricade su fascia di rispetto ferroviario della circumetnea tutelata dalla legge 753/1980. Su tale terreno sono stati autorizzati dal ''sindaco' Cantarella un circo , tra agosto e settembre 2023, e un parco giochi, tra febbraio e marzo 2024. Il nostro fondatore Salvatore Spadaro ha effettuato un accesso agli atti in cui era chiaro da chi fosse partita la ritorsione. Cantarella aveva negato di aver dato tali autorizzazioni scaricando la responsabilità su altre istituzioni compresa la polizia di Catania che si occupa dei grandi eventi.
Il nostro fondatore aveva denunciato per abuso d'ufficio, nel 2023, il ''sindaco'' Cantarella ma guarda caso il ministro dell'Ingiustizia carlo Nordio (padano) ha abolito il reato dell'abuso d'ufficio nel 2024 annullando di fatto la nostra denuncia.
Non contenti, il consiglio dei malvagi ha utilizzato come pedina il proprietario del terreno: Amedeo Russo che non gode di grande onorabilità di denunciare per il reato di ''diffamazione'' il nostro fondatore Salvatore Spadaro: Tale denuncia è giunta più di due anni dopo e si riferisce a post pubblicati su facebook dal nostro fondatore dopo che nessuna istituzione pubblica era intervenuta in seguito alle sue richieste d'aiuto. In particolare: polizia locale di Giarre, carabinieri di Giarre, responsabili della Circumetnea della sede di Catania. Tale richieste sono avvenute tramite denuncia o tramite pec per cui sono del tutto dimostrabili. E' Stato commesso un gravissimo reato che poteva mettere a repentaglio la sicurezza di tanti cittadini. Inoltre, per quanto riguardava il circo, si ponevano anche delle questioni di igiene e sicurezza degli animali le cui stalle vennero montate a ridosso dei binari della circumetnea. Soltanto nella corrotta Sicilia mafioso-massonica si possono verificare tali eventi che hanno una chiara matrice intimidatoria. Le istituzioni sono complici di questi atti criminali.
Nel mese di luglio del 2026 si è svolta la prima udienza di questo processo dato che quando sono gli altri a denunciare , tutti si muovono alla svelata. Quando è il nostro fondatore a presentare denunce, esposti e segnalazioni, tutto viene archiaviato. Cosa aspettarsi da un maledetto stato italiano mafioso-massonico? cosa aspettarsi da chi ha fatto carriera in questo ambiente mafioso-massonico?
Il nostro fondatore salvatore Spadaro ha chiesto di rilasciare delle spontanee dichiarazioni per spiegare come fossero andate le cose.
Innanzitutto ha esplicitato di essere il fondatore di un ente cultural politico che combatte il degrado partendo proprio dai territori, in primis quello di Giarre e di aver utilizzato sulle reti sociali come facebook l'espressione: panem et circenses nei confronti dell'amministrazione Cantarella, dedita a intrattenere la cittadinanza con sagre e spettacoli. Il pregiato basolato in pietra bianca e pietra lavica della piazza duomo è stato rovinato proprio dalla collocazione di pesanti camion di un parco giochi per non parlare delle macchie di olio di frittura delle bancarelle dell'ennesima festa del cioccolato ( = della m.rda).
In quella sede ha esplicitato ai presenti di essersi rivolto alle autorità competenti prima di scrivere la scomoda verità su facebook ma di non aver ricevuto alcun supporto di fronte a una situazione che lo aveva inquietato.
Di aver, in particolare , denunciato il ''sindaco'' Cantarella per abuso d'ufficio. A questo punto, interviene il ''giudice'' Cacciola del tribunale di Catania che censura il nostro fondatore dicendo: <basta così<. Il nostro fondatore ,che non si fa intimidire, ha concluso la frase affermando che l'anno seguente il reato dell'abuso d'ufficio era stato abolito dal ministro della ''giustizia'' Carlo Nordio.
A questo punto, il ''giudice'' cacciola va su tutte le furie, ordina al nostro fondatore di andare a posto e rimprovera l'Avv Sardella , legale dello Spadaro.
Questa vicenda evidenzia una volta di più che la giustizia italiana è ingiusta perchè lo stato italiano è stato fondato da criminali massoni come Garibaldi e Cavour. La Sicilia si deve separare al più presto da questo schifo.
Ricordiamo che nell'ottobre del 2024, il nostro fondatore, esasperato dall'ennesima provocazione del ''sindaco'' cantarella: il karaoke della villa Margherita che veniva effettuato anche quattro volte alla settimana con ''musica'' ad altissimo volume e spesso oltre mezzanotte, aveva affissato dei manifesti di protesta alla cancellata della caserma dei carabinieri di Giarre che, sebbene interpellati tante volte per mettere ordine nel quartiere, rispondevano sempre: sono autorizzati dal ''sindaco'' Cantarella. Dopo essere stato denunciato per oltraggio ed essere tornato a casa, il nostro fondatore riceve la visita di due carabinieri di Giarre compreso il firmatario della denuncia: Luca Leonardi che, senza mandato entrano a casa del nostro fondatore senza mandato, pretendono di visionare il telefonino del nostro fondatore per controllare se erano state scattate delle foto dei volantini affissati alla cancellata e le cancellano. Le immagini erano gia state pubblicate su facebbook e su questo blog ( vedasi post ottobre 2024).
Un altro atto gravissimo degno di una dittatura!
Noi non abbiamo paura. Abbiamo tutte le ragioni di questo mondo e il nostro fondatore non può essere condannato perchè subisce, da anni e da più fronti, provocazioni di ogni genere. L'articolo 599 del c.p. è chiarissimo in tal senso.
La nostra tristezza è grande perchè i siciliani si stanno dimostrando di una viltà illimitata. I tanti siciliani che sanno e stanno in silenzio sono maledetti!
La proposta di fondare la SCUOLA ZANCLEA DI MESTIERI D'ARTE affonda le sue radici nella straordinaria storia culturale della città dello Stretto, un tempo crocevia mediterraneo di botteghe d'arte rinomate e fucine di maestri ineguagliabili. Recuperare la gloriosa tradizione delle antiche corporazioni messinesi , che nei secoli passati videro fiorire l'arte pittorica nella bottega di Antonello da Messina e dei suoi seguaci, o l'eccellenza leggendaria degli argentieri e degli orefici le cui opere sacre e civili incantarono l'Europa, non significa soltanto guardare al passato, ma farlo diventare un motore di rinascita per il presente. Messina, infatti, porta ancora impresse le ferite profonde di una storia tormentata: oltre alla distruzione causata dal catastrofico terremoto del 1908, la città subì l'oltraggio di una ricostruzione scellerata e l'uso sconsiderato della dinamite che cancellò per mano umana immensi tesori architettonici e artistici che si erano salvati dalla furia della terra. A questo si aggiunge la persistenza delle baraccopoli, ferite urbane e sociali che da oltre un secolo rappresentano il simbolo tangibile di un degrado mai del tutto superato. In questo contesto di drammatica desertificazione estetica e materiale, Messina ha un bisogno urgente e radicale di arte nuova: un'arte che non sia soltanto memoria da custodire, ma strumento attivo di rigenerazione urbana, riscatto sociale ed emancipazione economica. La SCUOLA ZANCLEA DI MESTIERI D'ARTE nasce proprio per questo, per trasformare la manualità storica in un'opportunità di futuro e restituire alla città il suo antico splendore attraverso il talento dei suoi giovani.
La struttura didattica dell'accademia è pensata per concentrarsi su tre macro-aree di grande rilevanza economica e culturale, ricalcando le vocazioni storiche del territorio ma proiettandole verso i mercati d'élite. Il primo settore riguarda il restauro e la conservazione dei beni culturali, con particolare attenzione al patrimonio librario, cartaceo, ligneo e lapideo, rispondendo così alle enormi potenzialità di salvaguardia degli archivi e di quel poco che resta dei monumenti storici dell'area dello Stretto. Il secondo ambito strategico è rappresentato dall'oreficeria, dalla microfusione e dal design del gioiello, un omaggio diretto alla storica e raffinata tradizione degli argentieri messinesi, reinterpretata attraverso le tendenze del lusso contemporaneo. Il terzo pilastro si focalizza sulla falegnameria d'arte e sull'ebanisteria applicata al design d'interni e alla cantieristica nautica, un settore quest'ultimo di grande rilevanza per un territorio di mare come Messina.
Il modello pedagogico dell'accademia reinterpreta in chiave moderna il concetto rinascimentale della bottega d'arte, superando la dicotomia tra teoria e pratica attraverso la formula della Bottega 4.0. Sulla scia di quanto avveniva nelle antiche officine locali, dove il sapere si trasmetteva attraverso l'osservazione diretta e il lavoro manuale al fianco del maestro, il percorso formativo prevede che circa il settanta percento del tempo venga trascorso direttamente nei laboratori. Questa trasmissione diretta dell'alto saper fare viene tuttavia integrata con le tecnologie digitali più avanzate, come la modellazione tridimensionale, il disegno vettoriale e la prototipazione rapida. Accanto alle competenze tecnico-manuali, l'offerta didattica inserisce moduli obbligatori dedicati all'imprenditorialità, alla gestione delle micro-imprese, al marketing digitale e alle strategie di commercializzazione internazionale. In questo modo, l'allievo non impara soltanto a creare un manufatto d'arte di altissima qualità, ma acquisisce gli strumenti manageriali necessari per aprire una propria attività o inserirsi con successo nei canali del commercio di lusso.
La fondazione del Politecnico "Archimede" a Siracusa, concepito sull'altissimo rigore scientifico del Politecnico di Zurigo unito alla vocazione mineraria, geologica e territoriale delle storiche Écoles des Mines, e integrato con le frontiere più avanzate dell'intelligenza artificiale e dell'ingegneria aerospaziale, risponde a una necessità storica e industriale del Mezzogiorno. Dedicare questo polo accademico ad Archimede significa elevare a manifesto programmatico il metodo del più grande genio della classicità: colui che ha saputo fondere la speculazione geometrica pura con l'invenzione di macchine straordinarie, la comprensione della materia con il dominio della complessità. Siracusa non è soltanto il fulcro di una storia millenaria e di un patrimonio architettonico inestimabile, ma sorge al centro di un territorio di cruciale complessità geologica, estrattiva e industriale, segnato storicamente dal polo petrolchimico e dalla sfida improcrastinabile della transizione ecologica. Il progetto mira a creare un'istituzione di eccellenza internazionale capace di formare ingegneri, scienziati dei dati e tecnologi in grado di governare la materia, il territorio, i sistemi di lancio e la complessità digitale. Sfruttando la posizione strategica nel Mediterraneo, naturale ponte verso lo spazio e i cieli d'Europa, l'istituto intende superare la dicotomia tra conservazione del passato e sviluppo industriale, ponendosi come motore di un nuovo Rinascimento scientifico che unisce il rigore calcolistico europeo con la profonda cultura della terra, elevando l'interazione uomo-macchina a principale strumento per la generazione di nuova conoscenza.
La struttura didattica del politecnico si articola attorno a quattro poli di alta specializzazione scientifica e tecnologica, profondamente permeati dalle scienze computazionali e ispirati allo spirito pionieristico di Archimede. Il primo dipartimento si ispira direttamente al modello delle École des Mines, focalizzandosi sull'ingegneria geotecnica, sulla scienza dei materiali, sull'estrazione sostenibile e sulle tecnologie avanzate per la transizione energetica, ottimizzate tramite sistemi di simulazione basati sull'intelligenza artificiale. Il secondo dipartimento è dedicato all'ingegneria delle infrastrutture, al restauro strutturale e antisismico del patrimonio monumentale e archeologico, applicando l'apprendimento automatico e la modellazione predittiva alla conservazione della pietra e dei grandi monumenti. Il terzo pilastro accademico si concentra sui sistemi cognitivi, sull'interazione uomo-macchina e sull'ingegneria dei dati applicata al design del territorio e alla ricerca scientifica. Infine, il quarto dipartimento introduce l'ingegneria aerospaziale e dei sistemi di osservazione della Terra, focalizzandosi sullo studio dei materiali avanzati per il volo, sulla propulsione sostenibile e sull'analisi dei dati satellitari applicati al monitoraggio ambientale, alla gestione delle risorse idriche e alla prevenzione del rischio idrogeologico nel Mediterraneo.
Il modello pedagogico adotta l'approccio rigoroso e interdisciplinare dei grandi politecnici internazionali, fondendo una solida base di fisica matematica, ingegneria teorica e informatica con un'intensa attività di laboratorio in cui l'intelligenza artificiale funge da co-pilota cognitivo per studenti e ricercatori, nello spirito di una continua tensione inventiva. Gli studenti non affrontano soltanto lo studio teorico dei sistemi complessi, ma utilizzano avanzate interfacce uomo-macchina e ambienti di calcolo immersivi per simulare fenomeni fisici, analizzare la stabilità del suolo, collaudare nuovi materiali eco-compatibili per l'industria aerospaziale e co-creare soluzioni ingegneristiche innovative. La didattica prevede la stretta collaborazione con i centri di ricerca globali, le agenzie spaziali e le grandi aziende, integrando la ricerca empirica con la generazione algoritmica di ipotesi scientifiche. L'obiettivo è formare una classe dirigente tecnica capace di padroneggiare la simbiosi tra intelligenza umana e artificiale per ideare soluzioni radicalmente nuove per la salvaguardia del territorio, la progettazione di sistemi di volo avanzati e lo sviluppo di un'industria intelligente e sostenibile.
La realizzazione di questo polo universitario di eccellenza richiede una forte sinergia tra istituzioni europee, nazionali, regionali e il tessuto industriale avanzato. Dal punto di vista logistico, il politecnico prevede il recupero e la riconversione di un'area industriale dismessa o di un grande complesso architettonico nel territorio siracusano, trasformandolo in un campus sostenibile a emissioni zero dotato di laboratori di geomeccanica, banchi di prova per la sperimentazione aerospaziale, centri di supercalcolo per l'intelligenza artificiale e gallerie tecnologiche per la scienza dei materiali. La copertura finanziaria verrebbe sostenuta attraverso i fondi strutturali europei , l'innovazione digitale e aerospaziale, i programmi regionali per la transizione ecologica e il cofinanziamento da parte dei grandi gruppi industriali ed energetici interessati a investire in capitale umano altamente qualificato. In questo modo, Siracusa cesserebbe di essere una splendida isola di sola contemplazione archeologica per diventare un faro internazionale di ingegneria computazionale, scienza aerospaziale e tecnologia nel cuore del Mediterraneo.
Anche in questo caso , siamo pronti a interagire con le istituzioni siracusane e regionali per proporre tale progetto di sviluppo culturale e materiale per la Sicilia.
AUTONOMIA AUTENTICA PER LA SICILIA!
Articolo del fondatore del Partito, Salvatore Spadaro, qui pubblicato in maniera provvisoria in attesa di pubblicazione ufficiale su giornale accademico.
Progetto pubblico su Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/apwyc/overview
Abstract: Recent scientific investigations on
astroglial cells, in particular interlaminar astrocytes, have been reviewed; the
hypothesis of human pan-cortical interlaminar astrocytes, reaching the layer VI
of neocortex, is presented. In this context, A reform of the cognitive exagon
is proposed, including the human-specific role of glia in higher cognitive-intellectual
abilities. The necessity of expansion of
the cognitive approach in glia scientific investigations is affirmed.
Introduction
For more than a century, the extraordinary computational capacity, cognitive
and higher-order reasoning features of the human neocortex have been viewed
almost exclusively through a neuron-centric lens. Traditional neuroscience
models have mapped complex cognition, ranging from abstract thought to temporal
processing, primarily as an emergent property of intricate neuronal networks
and synaptic circuits. However, comparative evolutionary studies demonstrate
that the substantial expansion and structural complexification of the human
brain cannot be attributed to neuronal scaling alone. Instead, human brain
evolution is underscored by profound anatomical, molecular, and functional
adaptations within the glial lineage, particularly among astrocytes.
Long dismissed as passive metabolic support cells, glia, in particular
astroglia (Santello et al., 2019) and microglia (Morris et al.,2013), are now
recognized as active, dynamic partners in information processing. In the human
neocortex, the astrocytic contribution reaches its evolutionary zenith. Human
protoplasmic astrocytes, occupying distinct, local gray matter domains, exhibit
massive volumetric expansion, contacting hundreds of thousands to millions of
synapses and propagating intercellular calcium signals at speeds vastly
outstripping those of standard murine models. Concurrently, the human neocortex
features specialized primate-specific populations, most notably interlaminar astrocytes (Munger et al.,2022).
Confined to layer I, these unique cells project exceptionally long, cable-like
processes deep into the cortical mantle, positioning them to coordinate
translaminar signaling and bridge superficial inputs with deep-layer networks.
Together, the local homeostatic integration provided by protoplasmic astrocytes and the long-range architectural coordination driven by interlaminar astrocytes suggest a sophisticated, multi-tiered glial framework supporting human cognition (Matyash et al.,2010;Cinquina et al.,2025). Despite these insights, how these distinct human astrocytic morphotypes specifically shape neocortical microcircuits and contribute to higher-order processing remains a critical frontier.
Neocortical astrocytes as core parts for human
metacognition
The cognitive contributions of protoplasmic and interlaminar astrocytes
(ILAs) become especially clear when contrasted with the principles of neuronal
activity. While neurons operate via rapid, point-to-point electrical signaling,
utilizing microsecond-scale action potentials to transmit discrete digital-like
packets of information across specific synaptic clefts, astrocytes rely on
slow, non-electrical, and broadcast-style chemical signaling ( Fields et
al.,2006; Stogsdill et al.,2023). Through intracellular calcium waves,
gap-junctional syncytia, and the release of gliotransmitters (such as
glutamate, D-serine, and ATP), astroglia function over seconds to minutes and,
in some cases, also hours modulating the
operational environment rather than carrying raw data.
Within layers II through V, protoplasmic astrocytes leverage this slow
chemical machinery to regulate metaplasticity:
the shifting baseline capacity of synapses to undergo subsequent
long-term potentiation (LTP) or depression (LTD). Unlike neurons, which fire in
response to immediate electrical thresholds, protoplasmic astrocytes integrate
local synaptic history over extended temporal windows by clearing
neurotransmitters and buffering ions (Jones
et al.2024; Tyurikova,2024). By dynamically adjusting local chemical
thresholds, they dictate how future plastic changes occur, acting as
metabolic and homeostatic regulators that govern micro-circuit adaptability.
In contrast,
human ILAs scale this slow, modulatory capacity to a macro-structural level to
influence metacognition. While
neuronal columns process sensory and motor information via rapid, serial
electrical relays, ILAs are anchored at the pia mater surface in Layer I,
continuously sampling cerebrospinal fluid cues and global neuromodulatory
showers. Rather than participating in local, wire-like electrical circuits, the
ILA network utilizes widespread chemical diffusion and translaminar coupling to
provide a whole-column supervisory state (Krencik et al.,2017; Fourrier et
al.2019). By bridging superficial monitoring with deep infragranular output
layers via slow calcium- and metabolic-based signaling (Volterra et al.,2014),
ILAs supply the global contextual background required for executive control, proving
that higher-order human cognition relies on a cooperative interplay between
fast electrical computation and slow astroglial modulation.
Focusing on interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs) that extend 2 to 3 distinct projections shifts the
model from a single-file line of communication to a divergent, multi-branched broadcasting system.
In human histology, typical ILAs have their somas in Layer I and send out
long, tortuous processes (frequently 1 to 2, but occasionally 2 to 3 major
primary branches) that radiate down into the cortex (Colombo et al.,2004). When
a single ILA projects 2 or 3 separate fibers downward, it stops being a simple
point-to-point "cable" and becomes a macro-divergent broadcasting hub.
Rather than acting as isolated, single-wire conduits, a specialized subset
of human interlaminar astrocytes featuring 2 to 3 primary translaminar projections introduces a powerful
computational capability: fan-out
divergence.
Our perspective is that the unique
evolutionary elaboration of human interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs), particularly
those extending two to three distinct, ultra-long projections, may provide a
critical structural substrate for higher-order human cognition, including
metacognition and conscious state regulation. While traditional models of
consciousness rely exclusively on complex, serial neuronal loops, they often
struggle to explain how unified background states and whole-column modulation
are maintained across a massively expanded human neocortex. By anchoring their
somas at the pial glia limitans within Layer I (Hasel et al.,2025) and
fanning out multiple independent processes deep into infragranular layers,
these specialized ILAs act as macro-divergent broadcasting hubs. Through slow,
non-electrical chemical signaling, gap-junctional coupling, and calcium wave
propagation (Semyanov,2020), a single ILA can simultaneously coordinate
metabolic and modulatory states across multiple functional minicolumns and
cortical depths. We hypothesize that this vertical, multi-branched glial
architecture serves as an essential administrative bridge, linking superficial
cerebrospinal fluid monitoring and metacognitive oversight directly to deep
motor and executive output networks, thereby offering a novel, non-neuronal
dimension to the structural framework of human consciousness.
The development of vertical complexity of
interlaminar astrocytes in evolution
In the 1970s
and 1980s, Pasko Rakic ( 1978; 1981) demonstrated that embryonic radial glial
cells (RGs) act as a structural scaffold spanning the entire width of the developing
neural tube, guiding postmitotic neurons via glia-guided locomotion to form the
six-layered neocortex (the radial unit hypothesis). Traditionally, Rakic and
his contemporaries posited that once neurogenesis ceases, these transient
embryonic radial glia undergo a morphological transformation, losing their
bipolar shape and differentiating into conventional parenchymal astrocytes. In
higher primates and humans, this transformation is far more elaborate. Instead
of simple stellate astrocytes, subsets of radial glia precursors give rise to
highly specialized, human-enriched primate phenotypes, in particular, interlaminar astrocytes (Mosti et al.,2025).
Unique to primates (and vastly expanded in humans), interlaminar astrocytes
reside primarily in superficial cortical layers (Layer I). They feature long,
unbranched and branched processes (interlaminar fibers) that plunge deep into
the cortical gray matter, sometimes spanning across multiple layers. Lineage tracing and marker expression studies (Colombo,2017)
show that ILAs have a prenatal origin
directly tied to the radial glial lineage. They emerge from progenitors expressing classic stem/radial
markers (like Pax6, Sox2 and Nestin).
As the human fetal cortex expands, particularly with the massive
evolutionary scaling of the supragranular layers, the continuous radial glial
scaffold breaks down into discontinuous or truncated structures. Surviving
elements or daughter cells of this lineage undergo a distinct maturation
program rather than simply dissolving or becoming protoplasmic astrocytes. ILAs are specified early, during fetal development, born from
the proliferative zones that once drove human cortical expansion. While their birth is prenatal, their structural complexity
explodes postnatally (Falcone
et al.,2021). Their characteristic ultra-long fibers and specialized
terminal structures (such as endfeet anchoring around blood vessels or the pial
surface) mature alongside human cognitive development and circuit refinement.
We propose that human ILAs represent the most faithful structural and molecular
descendants or "sons" of the embryonic radial glial pool. Unlike
parenchymal astrocytes that adopt a localized, bushy morphology, ILAs retain
molecular vestiges of their radial heritage, including the persistent
expression of neural progenitor markers such as PAX6, SOX2, and Nestin (Ciani et al.,2024).
Positioned
primarily in superficial cortical Layer I, their cell bodies anchor near the
pia mater surface. Rather than breaking down, their developmental lineage
appears to capture a "frozen frame" of the embryonic radial state,
repurposing the radial scaffolding concept from a transient developmental
highway into a permanent, lifelong structural and signaling axis.
Building upon this ontogenetic continuity, we hypothesize the existence of
an extreme morphological subset: pan-neocortical interlaminar astrocytes (pILAs).
While standard ILAs project tortuous, unbranched fibers through
supragranular layers (layers II–IV) spanning distances of roughly one
millimeter, we theorize that a specialized subpopulation of human ILAs extends
its processes across the entirety of the cortical column, reaching deep
into layers V and VI.
These hypothetical pILAs must be
contextualized in the neocortical information processing. It relies heavily on
a dual-scale astrocytic network that facilitates both local micro-domain
computation and long-range radial integration across cortical layers. Protoplasmic
astrocytes, densely packed from layers II through VI, form vertically stacked micro-domains
that manage local synaptic environments, neurotransmitter clearance, and ion
homeostasis within individual cortical columns. In contrast, higher primates
have evolved interlaminar astrocytes
(ILAs), which provide a specialized macro-scale architectural conduit
for vertical communication (Reisin et al.,2002). With cell bodies rooted in
layer I, a primary hub for top-down feedback and neuromodulatory inputs, ILAs
project remarkably long, unbranched and branched processes downward through the
cortical laminae. Rather than relying solely on sequential, local cell-to-cell
signaling, these radial processes physically and physiologically bridge
superficial regulatory networks with deeper, granular processing layers. This
dual framework suggests that while protoplasmic stacking fine-tunes sequential,
layer-specific computations, interlaminar astrocytes offer a structural
substrate for rapid radial synchronization, supporting the complex associative
processing and executive functions characteristic of the primate brain.
In a massively expanded human neocortex, information processing requires
rapid coordination between superficial associative layers (layers II–III, which
handle intra-cortical communication) and deep output layers (layers V–VI, which
dispatch commands to subcortical and spinal targets).
How might these two populations interact within the same cortical column?
We propose a dual mechanism of metabolic and neurochemical coupling:
Given
that deep-layer projection phenotypes can be triggered by stress or cytokine
signaling, a physical or functional bridge between Layer I ILAs and deep-layer
astrocytes could serve an early-warning signaling role. Superficial layers are
the first to encounter CSF-borne immune signals or metabolic shifts; a
continuous glial projection network could rapidly relay neuroprotective or
reactive signals up and down the cortical column.
If interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs)
act as the permanent developmental "ghosts" of Rakic's radial
scaffolding (2005), guiding or maintaining the columnar architecture, any
subtle genetic or neurodevelopmental error during their specification could
misalign the entire vertical communication grid. If the top-down pial signals
fail to sync properly with deep-layer projection systems, the brain’s delicate
balance of filtering sensory information (a core deficit in schizophrenia)
could collapse. Schizophrenia, for example, is widely viewed as a disorder of
disconnectivity, particularly involving abnormalities in how higher-order
prefrontal regions coordinate with deeper brain structures, and features
pronounced changes in astrocytic networking.
There is a trade-off for this very complex cognitive structure: the very cellular adaptations that made human
abstract thought, complex language, and expansive neocortical columns possible
(like ILAs and extended glial axes) also act as unique Achilles' heels.
Because these complex astroglial networks are uniquely elaborated in humans,
they may predispose us to uniquely human neuropsychiatric conditions that
simpler mammalian brains do not experience to the same degree.
In particular, the kindling
effect (Barnes et al.,2003) represents the dark side of human
neocortical plasticity, a process tightly regulated by protoplasmic
astrocytes. These gray-matter cells are exceptionally large and
complex in humans, enveloping up to two million synapses to manage glutamate
clearance and maintain synaptic homeostasis. Under chronic stress or repeated
affective episodes, protoplasmic astrocytes fail to efficiently reabsorb excess
glutamate, causing excitotoxicity and lowering the neuronal activation
threshold. This failure is compounded by glia hysteresis, a phenomenon where these specific
astrocytes retain a molecular "memory" of past stress, locking the
neocortex into a persistent, hyper-reactive state long after the stressor has
ceased. Consequently, what evolved as an adaptive mechanism for rapid
environmental learning becomes a pathological feedback loop, where future
clinical episodes are triggered spontaneously or by increasingly minor events.
Transport for the Neocortical Metropolis: a
functional metaphor
Reconceptualizing the
human neocortex requires viewing it less as a monolithic computer and more as a
decentralized, multi-tiered metropolis inspired by Marvin Minsky’s Society
of Mind (1986), where
complex cognition emerges from the cooperation of specialized, non-intelligent
agents. In this urban layout, neurons and glia operate as fundamentally
distinct transportation systems: neurons act as the high-speed electric rail
network that is fast, precise, and wired for point-to-point electrical
transmission while astroglia form the chemical logistics, fluid-delivery, and
local-delivery infrastructure.
Therefore, the human neocortex can be interpreted as a multi-modal transit grid
with a neuro-glial division of labor.
As said before, for Minsky, the mind emerges from the interaction of a
"society" of individual, non-intelligent agents (small local
processes/modules), the addition of the astrocytic network transforms this
model into something even more modern, dynamic, and integrated. In Minsky's
original model, "society" is composed almost exclusively of cognitive
agents (neurons or functional modules) that exchange messages. It's like
describing a city by speaking only of its inhabitants and their conversations.
The inclusion of deep glia integrates the environment and the resource:
• Agents (Neurons/Columns): They solve specific subproblems (Minsky's
"stations" or individual "agents").
• Environmental Managers (Astrocytes): They decide which agent has the
resources (energy, glucose, blood flow) to function at any given time. A
neuronal "agent" cannot function unless the underlying astrocytic
network opens the metabolic valves.
Minsky hypothesized the existence of "control agents" (called
B-brains or higher-level agents) that observe and modify the actions of
lower-level agents. In psychobiology, astrocytes and their horizontal network
in Layer VI do exactly this, but through a different language:
• Neurons communicate at very high frequencies (milliseconds) via
discrete electrical impulses (Binary/Digital Code).
• The astrocytic network communicates at low frequencies (seconds,
minutes and , in some cases, hours) via calcium (Ca2+) waves that travel along
the horizontal extensions (Analog/Holistic Code).
This slow flow along the "subway" of Layer VI coordinates
entire regions of columns, tuning the readiness of the "society" of
neurons. This is the true metabolic and modulatory metacognition of the cortex.
One of the classic criticisms of purely computational models of the mind
(such as those of Minsky's symbolic Artificial Intelligence) is that they
ignore thermodynamic and energetic constraints.
The biological-style Society of Mind is not an abstract network:
• Each "agency" (column) competes for resources.
• The horizontal and vertical extensions of astrocytes function as an
invisible hand of the brain's economy. They release neuromodulators and lactate
only to active "agencies," shutting down unused ones.
In summary, The "Society of Mind" 2.0 is multipartite,
including the interactions between neurons and the various types of glia, in particular,
the various populations of astroglia. If Minsky described the democracy of
neuronal agents, astrocytic psychobiology shows us that this democracy can only
function thanks to a dense infrastructural glial network.
To conceptualize this
architecture, the neocortex can be envisioned as a vast metropolis composed of
macro-columnar 'skyscrapers.' Within each column, specialized human interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs)
function as high-speed vertical
elevators, linking the subpial roof (Glia Limitans Superficialis)
directly to deep-layer output tiers without relying on multi-stop neuronal
relays. Complementing these vertical shafts are the underground express lines running along the deep layer boundary
(Layers V/VI), where projection astrocytes interface with long-range white matter tracts.
While local protoplasmic astrocytes manage block-by-block neighborhood traffic
within specific floors, the synergistic interaction between vertical elevators
and subterranean express lines enables the human brain to rapidly integrate
local top-down oversight with distant, city-wide network execution.
Within this metropolitan grid, a distinct vertical and local axis spans
from the administrative penthouse down to the neighborhood streets:
·
The Metacognitive Control Room (Layer I): Functioning
like a central transport authority monitoring a city's entire network, Layer I
acts as a metacognitive tier. Here, the glia limitans and the somas of
interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs) act as specialized operators that monitor the
cerebrospinal fluid and global signals, overseeing the health and status of the
infrastructure.
·
The Elevetor Lines (ILAs): Just as transit supervisors
dispatch signals across a city,ILAs, including our hypothetical pan-neocortical
ILAs, serve as chemical express lines. Dropping ultra-long processes all the
way down from Layer I to the deep infragranular layers, they bypass
traditional, slow multi-synaptic neuronal delays. They provide the high-speed,
translaminar vertical transit system. Instead of waiting for the slow,
multi-stop local neuronal relay (staircase), signals, ions, and modulatory
influences can be broadcast vertically across the "floors" via these
long ILA tracks.
·
The Local Delivery Networks (Protoplasmic Astrocytes): Filling the
spaces between the high-speed neuronal rails throughout layers II through V are
the bush-like protoplasmic astrocytes.
Operating like local neighborhood distribution hubs and delivery vans, these
cells maintain strict territorial domains. They manage local chemical traffic
by clearing neurotransmitters (like glutamate), buffering potassium ions, and
shuttling energetic metabolites directly to active synapses. Unlike the
elevators that span multiple floors, protoplasmic
astrocytes are strictly localized. They act as the individual floor
managers or maintenance crews, taking care of the local synaptic
microenvironments, clearing neurotransmitters, and managing energy supplies
within their specific tier.
·
The Ground-Floor Industrial Hub (Deep-Layer Projection
Astrocytes): Reaching the base of the cortex in layers V and VI,
these specialized long-process astrocytes manage the heavy industrial output, coordinating
the metabolic demands of deep projection neurons. Subterranean-underground
express lines are the representation of the
deep-layer projection astrocytes network.
Running vertically through this entire architecture is a proposed translaminar astroglial axis. Driven
by gap-junction-coupled networks (Cx30 and Cx43) and hypothesized physical continuities
between superficial ILAs and deep projection astrocytes (former varicose
projection astrocytes), this axis provides a rapid metabolic and ionic
pipeline. It allows the human neocortex to bypass purely neuronal relay delays,
instantly coupling global superficial states (from the GLS and Layer I) with
deep-layer motor execution (Layer V) and thalamic filtering (Layer VI).
While neuronal tracks handle fast electrical signaling, this chemical
transit network, running from the Layer I control room, down the pan-neocortical translaminar express lines,
and out through the local protoplasmic delivery web, allows the brain to manage
whole-column logistics. However, its immense sophistication introduces systemic
vulnerability. If the control room fails to monitor the network, or if local
protoplasmic and deep-layer hubs experience stress-induced reactive states, the
coordination between high-level metacognitive oversight and ground-floor
operations collapses, offering a compelling glial framework for understanding
uniquely human psychopathology.
The central, vertical place of glia in
Cognitive Science
The Cognitive Hexagon is a
famous diagram introduced in 1978 as
originally depicted in the A. P. Sloan Foundation Report (1978, as cited in
Gardner, 1985) . It was created
to map out and officially define cognitive
science as a brand-new, interdisciplinary field of study dedicated to
understanding the human mind, intelligence, and information processing.
The model is shaped like a regular hexagon, with six distinct academic disciplines sitting at its vertices:
We think that glia studies must have a
central role in the cognitive exagon without adding new vertices to it. The original 1978
model was tightly bound by a shared commitment to computationalism and
representationalism (the
idea that the mind processes information like a computer). Adding fields
that do not neatly fit this paradigm risks turning the hexagon into a vague
"catch-all" for anything related to human behavior. Following the
human-specific morphology and functions of glia cells, in particular the
vertical development of interlaminar astroglial cells theory, it is proposed a
pyramid with exagonal base scheme where a possible gliascience: the discipline
devoted to the study of glia cells is included (Spadaro,2015;2016).
Legend:
A:Philosophy; B:Psychology;
C:Linguistics; D:Neuroscience; E:Artificial Intelligence; F:Anthropology; G:
Gliascience.
Following the functional metaphor of
the infrastructure with various floors, it has been developed also the scheme
below:
1. The Roof: Glia
Limitans Superficialis (GLS)
2. Layer-Floor I: Meta-Cognitive Tier
3. Layers-Floors II
& III: Mesocognitive Tier
4. Layer-Floor IV:
Proto-Cognitive Tier
5. Layer-floor V:
Praxi-Cognitive Tier
6. Layer-Floor VI:
Retro-Cognitive Tier
A critical
structural question in modeling a continuous translaminar glial axis is why
deep-layer astroglial processes (such as those in the praxi-cognitive
Layer V and retro-cognitive Layer VI) do not simply drift or project
indiscriminately into the underlying white matter. The answer likely lies in
the biophysical mechanics of durotaxis:
the directed movement or process extension of cells governed by
stiffness gradients in the extracellular matrix (Weissenbruch et al.,2025).
·
Stiffness Discrepancies: The neocortical gray matter (housing the cellular machinery of
layers I through VI) and the subcortical white matter (dominated by dense,
myelinated axon tracts) present vastly different mechanical microenvironments.
White matter tracts, packed with tightly bundled lipid-rich myelin and parallel
axonal arrays, exhibit distinct viscoelastic and mechanical rigidity properties
compared to the neuron- and synapse-dense neuropil of the gray matter.
·
Stiffness-Gated Process Extension: Astrocytes
are known to be highly mechano-sensitive cells that use durotaxis to sample and
respond to substrate rigidity. The sharp biochemical and biophysical transition
at the boundary between deep layer VI and the white matter acts as a mechanical
"speed bump" or natural barrier.
·
Preserving Functional Compartmentalization: Rather than
letting deep-layer projection astrocytes bleed random processes into white
matter tracks, durotactic cues help anchor these cells within the cortical
sheet. This ensures that deep-layer astrocytic processes remain tightly aligned
with deep pyramidal neurons and local microvessels, maintaining the integrity
of the praxi-cognitive and retro-cognitive tiers without losing
their polarization to the structural tracts below.
A compelling implication of our theoretical pan-neocortical interlaminar
astrocytes, those originating in pial Layer I and sending ultra-long processes
all the way down to the base of the neocortex, is the establishment of a
direct, bi-directional glial communication axis across the entire cortical
column. This architecture sets the stage for a unique cellular dialogue between
superficial lineages and deep-layer neocortical astrocytes with projections.
Within the human neocortex, complex neuro-glial interactions provide the
structural and metabolic architecture that underpins multi-tiered cognitive
processing across distinct cortical columns. In the meta-cognitive Layer
I, primate-specific interlaminar astrocytes
deploy two to three long, tortuous processes that project vertically over
millimeters, independent of local boundaries, down into the mesocognitive
(Layers II–III) and proto-cognitive (Layer IV) tiers. These specialized
processes act as structural conduits for vertical broadcasting, physically coupling superficial top-down
regulatory signals directly to the underlying modular columns. Across all
layers, protoplasmic astrocytes
and deep-layer astrocytes with long
processes form expansive syncytia interconnected by connexin-based (Rash et al.,2001) gap
junctions (Cx30 and Cx43). These gap junction networks facilitate the
intercellular sharing of ions (K+), metabolites, and second messengers, locally
coordinating the synaptic microenvironments of pyramidal neurons. Specifically, in the deep praxi-cognitive
(Layer V) and retro-cognitive (Layer VI) zones, projection astrocytes
integrate with deep pyramidal arborizations and the local microvasculature. By
synchronizing metabolic supply with electrical activity via gap junctions,
these glial networks dynamically modulate both the execution of thought into
action and the precise thalamic feedback loops required for cognitive
coherence.
The proposed existence of a continuous, radially oriented translaminar astroglial axis unique to
the human neocortex must be included in this multi-level cognitive model. Specialized
primate-specific pan-neocortical interlaminar
astrocytes (pILAs) originating in the meta-cognitive Layer I
extend exceptionally long, primary processes that traverse the mesocognitive
(Layers II–III) and proto-cognitive (Layer IV) tiers, ultimately
projecting deep into the praxi-cognitive (Layer V) and retro-cognitive
(Layer VI) zones. Here, these descending pILA fibers structurally and
functionally interface with deep-layer astrocytes
with long processes (the so-called varicose projection astrocytes, see
Falcone et al.,2026) via extensive gap junction networks (Cx30 and Cx43).
This structural continuity bridges the entire functional hierarchy of the
neocortex:
This glial architecture suggests that human cognitive complexity relies not
only on expanded neuronal circuitry, but on a specialized astroglial
scaffolding capable of coordinating macro-columnar processing from surface to
deep output layers.
Conclusion
By reframing
the human neocortex through a six-tiered functional hierarchy, anchored by the
supraboundary glia limitans superficialis, mediated vertically by interlaminar
astroglial 'elevators,' and modulated horizontally by mesocognitive
protoplasmic networks, this framework challenges deeply entrenched neurocentric
paradigms. We propose the translaminar
astroglial axis not as an established anatomical dogma, but as an
explicit, testable model of macro-columnar coordination. In strict adherence to
Popperian principles of falsification (1959), we invite the scientific
community to test, challenge, and verify or falsify this hypothesis. Advanced
high-resolution structural tracing, 3D electron microscopy, and
mechano-biophysical analyses of durotaxis at the gray-white matter boundary
will ultimately determine whether astroglia truly serve as the master
architects of human cognitive architecture.
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Oggi 19/10/2026, il nostro fondatore Salvatore spadaro ha partecipato alla commemorazione della Strage del pane di via Maqueda del 1944 pre...