As a Foreign Associate Member I wish to thank and congratulate the Istituto Lombardo for having organised this one-full-day meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Italian Association for Theoretical and Applied mechanics, AIMETA. It has been a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the versatility of mechanical rationales ranging from biological cells to the solar system. Within 4 years, Milan will host ICTAM 2020, the International Conference on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. On this occasion researchers from all over the world will meet in a place famous for its long lasting tradition of excellence in Mechanics and no doubt make this gathering a success.