How do our bodies tune into the Sun's rhythm?

Claude Gronfier, Researcher in Chronobiology at Inserm's Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon

On March 19th, 2025 4 min reading time

A study of RATP employees shows that tram and bus drivers (outdoors) have fewer sleep disorders than metro drivers (indoors).

Satellite images reveal the extent of methane leaks across the world

Marielle Saunois, Lecturer and Researcher at Université Versailles Saint Quentin and Member of Climate and Environmental Sciences Laboratory

On March 19th, 2025 4 min reading time

Satellite data now makes it possible to measure methane leaks independently, without relying on industry estimates.

Christophe Gaie

How open-source AI could modernise public services

Christophe Gaie, Head of the Engineering and Digital Innovation Division at the Prime Minister's Office, Laurent Denis, Technical Architect in the Prime Minister's Office

On March 19th, 2025 6 min reading time

IRIS2: everything you need to know about this new European constellation

Jean-Pierre Diris , Interministerial Coordinator for France on IRIS² and GOVSATCOM

On March 11th, 2025 5 min reading time

Europe will be deploying the IRIS2 constellation of telecoms satellites in 2030 to avoid relying on non-European players for its strategic or governmental needs.

What effect do screens have on our sleep?

Russel Foster , Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute at the University of Oxford

On March 11th, 2025 5 min reading time

There are several preconceived ideas about the link between screens and sleep; studies need to be nuanced as they are often carried out in laboratories and not outdoors.

Gilles Granjean

Climate change increases the risk of landslides

Gilles Grandjean, Co-Director of France 2030 Scientific Program Risques (IRiMa)

On March 11th, 2025 4 min reading time

How effective is nuclear deterrence today?

Paul Zajac, Director of Strategic Affairs at CEA

On March 5th, 2025 4 min reading time

Since the end of the 2000s, nuclear weapons have once again become a factor in the interplay of power between nations.

What do we really know about our dreams?

Delphine Oudiette, Inserm Research Director and Co-Director of DreamTeam at Institut du Cerveau in Paris, Claudia Picard-Deland, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Addictology at Université de Montréal

On March 5th, 2025 5 min reading time

The level of evidence in studies on dreams is generally low... So what do we know about our dreams today?

Lina Hadid

BepiColombo: revelations from the Mercury mission

Lina Hadid, Astrophysicist and Researcher at Plasma Physics Laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)

On March 5th, 2025 4 min reading time

Brain: how do we experience time?

Virginie van Wassenhove, Research Director at CEA

On February 26th, 2025 5 min reading time

Scientists are now investigating the way in which neurons code the mental representation of time.

India's transition to electric vehicles

Peter Wells, Professor of Business and Sustainability at Cardiff University

On February 26th, 2025 4 min reading time

India has set itself ambitious targets for its transition to electric vehicles.

Etienne Minvielle

From cure to prediction: the algorithmic transformation of healthcare

Etienne Minvielle, Director of the Centre de Recherche en Gestion at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)

On February 26th, 2025 3 min reading time

Carbon capture faces its technological and economic limits

Paula Coussy, Head of CO2 Externalities Project at IFPEN, Florent Guillou, Process Design Engineer and Project Manager at IFPEN, Raphaël Huyghe, Program Manager at IFPEN in the Chemistry for Industry Results Center

On February 19th, 2025 4 min reading time

To achieve the target of capturing 450 million tonnes of CO2 by 2050, various decarbonisation strategies must be considered.

Dark side of the Moon: the first samples arrive on Earth

Pierre-Yves Meslin, Scientific Manager of DORN Mission at Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie

On February 19th, 2025 3 min reading time

The Chinese probe Chang'E 6, launched on 3rd May 3 2024, brought back to Earth the first samples from the far side of the Moon.

Quantum: the second revolution unfolds

On June 5th, 2024 1 min reading time

What is quantum physics? What are the applications of quantum technologies? Dive into the universe of the infinitely small with this issue of 3.14.

Christophe Gaie

Cryptography: how to protect critical systems in the quantum era

Christophe Gaie, Head of the Engineering and Digital Innovation Division at the Prime Minister's Office, Jean Langlois-Berthelot, Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Head of Division in the French Army

On February 19th, 2025 4 min reading time

Will weaknesses in the US economy resist Trump's strategy?

Patrick Artus, Head Economist at Natixis

On February 12th, 2025 4 min reading time

With the US's comparative advantages, protectionism would be ineffective for the country, unlike a policy of free trade for goods and services.

The proliferation of space debris in the Earth's orbit

Christophe Bonnal, Space debris expert at the CNES launchers department

On February 12th, 2025 4 min reading time

Today, there are 36,000 objects larger than 10 cm in space, of which 30,000 are catalogued and 6,000 are not referenced.

Geoffroy Peeters

Can AI compose music now?

Geoffroy Peeters, Professor of Data Science at Télécom Paris (IP Paris)

On February 12th, 2025 6 min reading time

Cognitive warfare: the new battlefield exploiting our brains

Bernard Claverie, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Sciences at Bordeaux Institute of Technology

On February 5th, 2025 5 min reading time

Cognitive warfare explores the potential manipulation by hostile actors using cognitive science, such as propaganda and disinformation.

More columns here
0_numeriqueEtSante
π Health and biotech π Science and technology

Digital innovations for better health

Episode 1 / 7
new

From cure to prediction: the algorithmic transformation of healthcare

Etienne Minvielle, Director of the Centre de Recherche en Gestion at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)

Episode 2 / 7

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's: “tommorrow, AI will detect disease”

Mounîm A. El Yacoubi, Professor at Télécom SudParis (IP Paris)

Episode 3 / 7

Digital avatars of patients lungs

Cécile Patte, Inria engineer in biomechanics, Jeunes Talents France 2020 prize "For women in science" (L'Oréal-Une...

Episode 4 / 7

How to provide access to patients health data

Emmanuel Didier, Sociologist, CNRS Research Director and member of the Maurice Halbwachs Centre at EHESS

Episode 5 / 7

Why the medical AI revolution could never happen

Joël Perez Torrents, PhD student at I³-CRG* at École Polytechnique (IP Paris)

Episode 6 / 7

How digital technology will personalise healthcare

Etienne Minvielle, Director of the Centre de Recherche en Gestion at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) , Alexis Hernot, Co-founder and CEO of Calmedica

Episode 7 / 7

How we can better predict future epidemics

Etienne Minvielle, Director of the Centre de Recherche en Gestion at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) , Antoine Flahault, PhD in biomathematics

0_physiqueQuantique
π Science and technology π Industry

How quantum technology is changing the world

Episode 1 / 7
new

Cryptography: how to protect critical systems in the quantum era

Christophe Gaie, Head of the Engineering and Digital Innovation Division at the Prime Minister's Office , Jean Langlois-Berthelot, Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Head of Division in the French Army

Episode 2 / 7

Quantum physics explained by a Nobel Prize winner

Alain Aspect, Nobel Prize in Physics 2022, Professor at the Institut d'Optique Graduate School (Université Paris-S...

Episode 3 / 7

How to prepare for the acceleration of quantum technologies

Laurent Sanchez-Palencia, CNRS Research Director in Quantum Physics and Professor at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)

Episode 4 / 7

Quantum physics has already changed the world

Pierre Henriquet, Doctor in Nuclear Physics and Columnist at Polytechnique Insights

Episode 5 / 7

Quantum computing: 15 minutes to understand everything

Loïc Henriet, CTO at Pasqal , Landry Bretheau, Professor at Ecole Polytechnique, Quantum Physicist and Researcher in the Laboratory of Condensed Ma...

Episode 6 / 7

Health, tech, space: quantum technology is already benefiting many sectors

Pierre Henriquet, Doctor in Nuclear Physics and Columnist at Polytechnique Insights

Episode 7 / 7

Quantum, the indispensable ally of modern medicine

Pierre Henriquet, Doctor in Nuclear Physics and Columnist at Polytechnique Insights

0_generique_geopolitiqueMatieres
π Geopolitics π Economics π Energy

Oil to lithium, the energy transition is shuffling the cards for global politics

Episode 1 / 9
new

China has a monopoly on rare earth metals

Mathieu Xémard, project leader at Centre Interdisciplinaire d'Études pour la Défense et la Sécurité (IP Paris)

Episode 2 / 9

Saudi Arabia, a future mining power?

Emmanuel Hache, Assistant and Economist-Prospector at IFP Énergies nouvelles and Research Director at IRIS , Candice Roche, Research Fellow in Geopolitics of Metals and Ecological Transition at IFPEN , Vincent d’Herbemont, Civil engineer in the economics and environmental assessment department at IFP énergies nouvelles

Episode 3 / 9

The switch to electric cars increases our dependence on China

María Eugenia Sanin, Lecturer in economics at Université Paris Saclay and coordinator of the Sectoral Policies group at t... , Olivier Perrin, Partner in the energy, resources and industry sector at Deloitte

Episode 4 / 9

Predicted scarcity of metals and rare elements are causing geopolitical tensions

Emmanuel Hache, Assistant and Economist-Prospector at IFP Énergies nouvelles and Research Director at IRIS

Episode 5 / 9

How decisions around energy shape geopolitical power

Anna Creti, Professor at Université Paris-Dauphine-PSL, Director of Climate Economics Chair and Associate Direct...

Episode 6 / 9

Gas: intermediate energy source or energy of the future?

Olivier Massol, Professor at the Centre for Energy Economics and Management at IFP School

Episode 7 / 9

Oil in murky waters: pressure on prices and uncertain demand

Patrice Geoffron, Professor at the University of Paris-Dauphine and Director of Center of Energy and Climate Change Ec...

Episode 8 / 9

“Carbon diplomacy is an issue of power and sovereignty”

Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, Director of the Energy & Climate Centre at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri...

Episode 9 / 9

Energy transition: a gold-mine for countries of the “Lithium Triangle”?

María Eugenia Sanin, Lecturer in economics at Université Paris Saclay and coordinator of the Sectoral Policies group at t...

0_defisIA
π Digital π Science and technology

What are the next challenges for AI?

Episode 1 / 6
new

The future of brain-machine synchronisation

Hamilton Mann, Group Vice President of Digital Marketing and Digital Transformation at Thales and Senior Lecturer a... , Cornelia C. Walther, Senior Visiting Scientist at Wharton Initiative for Neuroscience (WiN) , Michael Platt, Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and a Professor of Marketing, Neuroscience, and Psyc...

Episode 2 / 6

Machine Learning: can we correct biases?

Stephan Clémençon, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Télécom Paris (IP Paris)

Episode 3 / 6

“Decisions made by algorithms must be justified”

Isabelle Bloch, Professor at Sorbonne University (Chair in Artificial Intelligence)

Episode 4 / 6

Artificial intelligence: a tool for domination or emancipation?

Lê Nguyên Hoang, Co-founder and President of Tournesol.app , Victor Berger, Post-doctoral researcher at CEA Saclay , Giada Pistilli, PhD student at Sorbonne University affiliated with the CNRS Science, Norms, Democracy laboratory

Episode 5 / 6

When algorithms replace humans, what is at stake? 

Véronique Steyer, Associate Professor in Innovation Management at École Polytechnique (IP Paris) , Milie Taing, Founder and CEO of Lili.ai

Episode 6 / 6

Are artificial intelligence and human intelligence comparable?

Daniel Andler, Professor emeritus in Philosophy of Science at Sorbonne Université , Maxime Amblard, Professor of Computer Science at Université de Lorraine , Annabelle Blangero, PhD in Neuroscience and Data Science Manager at Ekimetrics

0_ressourcesEau
π Planet π Geopolitics π Energy

Water at the heart of global geopolitical issues

Episode 1 / 6
new

What future can we expect for water resources in France?

Eric Sauquet, Research Director in Hydrology at INRAE

Episode 2 / 6

Water security: a local issue with international impact

Patricia Crifo, Professor of Economics at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) , Maxime Elkington, Masters student in "Economics for smart cities and climate policy" at École Polytechnique (IP Paris)

Episode 3 / 6

Water, a growing source of global tension

Hervé Douville, Researcher at Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM) , Bertrand Decharme, CNRS Research Director at Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM)

Episode 4 / 6

Access to water: inequalities reinforced by climate change

Marine Colon, Lecturer at AgroParisTech and Researcher in Public Management , Stéphanie Dos Santos, Sociologist and demographer at IRD Population Environment Development Laboratory

Episode 5 / 6

Securing water resources: a global necessity

Éric Servat, Director of UNESCO International Centre for Water

Episode 6 / 6

Hard choices must be made for universal access to water

Nassim Ait Mouheb, Researcher at INRAE , Corinne Cabassud , Professor emeritus at INSA Toulouse and Researcher at Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI)

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