Professor of Economics at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) and Member of CREST
Héloïse Cloléry
Post-Doctoral Fellow at Bocconi University in Milan
Matías Núñez
Professor at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) and Permanent Member of CREST
Key takeaways
In 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics went to researchers “for their studies of how institutions form and influence prosperity”.
In particular, they question whether a technological revolution can be monopolised by a minority for their own profit or benefit the majority.
Among other things, these researchers defend the idea that institutions are essential for collective decision-making (climate crises, global pandemics).
Their work on the links between technology and institutions is opening up new areas of research, in particular on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
The question of ‘transition’ is also at the heart of their studies: they are seeking to understand the factors that explain why some countries remain poor.
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier for their work on attosecond laser pulses.
These lasers pulses make it possible to observe the dynamics of electrons in matter and open the door to a wide range of studies.
The generation of attosecond pulses is mainly based on the method of colliding electrons with their atoms, developed by Anne L’Huillier.
This ability to take a snapshot of the infinitely small is useful in many fields, such as biology, to gain a better understanding of the damage caused to DNA by certain types of radiation.
In the future, scientists hope to develop even shorter pulses to observe protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei.
Assistant professor at CREST at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)
Roland Rathelot
Professor of Economics at ENSAE (IP Paris)
Key takeaways
The American economist Claudia Goldin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2023 for her work on the place of women in the labour market with her analyses of wage inequality.
She has shown that women’s participation in the economy has followed a U-shaped trajectory, influenced by major societal changes such as the contraceptive pill.
Her working method is particularly innovative, drawing on historical data, analysing the long term and formulating multiple hypotheses.
Claudia Goldin describes a “silent revolution” in the early 1970s, launched in particular by contraception, which enabled American women to plan and build their professional careers.
Despite this progress, the economist notes that pay inequalities persist, notably because of “greedy jobs” and flexible working.
PhD in biology and Columnist at Polytechnique Insights
Key takeaways
CRISPRs are DNA sequences found in many prokaryotes, useful for defense against viruses, which have been adapted to develop a gene-editing tool.
CRISPR-Cas enables genomes to be modified rapidly and precisely, by cutting and inserting new DNA sequences.
Its applications are wide-ranging: gene therapy, healthcare, agriculture, bioproduction, etc.
CRIPSR-Cas raises many ethical questions, and its potential uses and implications give rise to widely differing opinions, notably in the European Parliament.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletterSubscribe to our weekly newsletter
