Trespassing

In public debates on the current epidemic, ‘trespassing’ may refer to those who venture out of their area of expertise. But the study of epidemics requires heterogeneous competences and a multidisciplinary approach: here, to get out of your own sphere is a positive action, indeed necessary. ‘Trespassing’ is rather that practice whereby people who are endowed with recognized disciplinary competence and credibility in a particular field of study, use this credibility to give authority to state- ments in fields far from their area of expertise. Even under this restrictive definition, the widespread diffusion of the phenomenon is there for all to see.