Climate change: why is El Niño “acting up”?

Lauriane Batté, Head of the Climatic Analysis and Monitoring Department at Météo-France, Juliette Mignot, Oceanographer at Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)

On November 21st, 2023 4 min reading time

An El Niño episode has been underway since this summer. Its effects are cumulative and interact with the impact of human activities on the planet.

ChatGPT, Midjourney: everything you need to know about generative AI

Éric Moulines, Professor of Statistical Learning at École Polytechnique (IP Paris), Hatim Bourfoune, AI research engineer at IDRIS (CNRS), Pierre Cornette, AI support engineer at IDRIS (CNRS)

On November 21st, 2023 5 min reading time

Generative AI can create content from a database that has been ingested and according to the indications they are given.

Clément Viricel

Algorithms: a biomimetic approach to performance and nuance

Clément Viricel, Doctorate in mathematics and computer science applied to biology, Laurent Pujo-Menjouet, Lecturer and researcher in mathematics applied to biology and medicine at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and senior lecturer and researcher at the Institut Camille Jordan

On October 25th, 2023 4 min reading time

Moral decline: why do we still think "things were better before"?

Adam Mastroianni, Postdoctoral Researcher at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management  

On November 14th, 2023 4 min reading time

The idea of moral decline has been present in societies over history. This moral decline is linked to getting older, and to the arrival of new, less virtuous generations.

Drawing inspiration from living things: a method as much as a philosophy

Kalina Raskin, Physico-chemical engineer, PhD in neuroscience from Sorbonne University and Managing Director of Ceebios, (Centre for studies and expertise in biomimicry), Emmanuel Delannoy, Consultant, author, lecturer, founding partner of Pikaia, Secretary General of the French IUCN Committee and founder of the INSPIRE Institute

On October 25th, 2023 3 min reading time

Creating adhesives as strong as those of a gecko or threads as solid as spider silk – these are some of the possibilities afforded by biomimicry.

Thomas Grandin

What should be done with the millions of used tyres?

Thomas Grandin, In charge of the tyre and ELV sector at ADEME, Jean-Philippe Faure, Head of Research & Development and Director of Research and Innovation at Aliapur, Ludovic Moulin, PhD in Process and Environmental Engineering, R&D Manager at Alpha Carbone, and guest researcher in the MARVAPOL joint laboratory with IMT Mines Albi

On November 14th, 2023 4 min reading time

5 breakthroughs made possible by quantum technologies

On November 7th, 2023 6 min reading time

Research into quantum physics is leading to advances in many areas of research and development.

How digital technology will personalise healthcare

Etienne Minvielle, CNRS Research Director and Professor of Health Management at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris) , Alexis Hernot, Co-founder and CEO of Calmedica

On November 7th, 2023 3 min reading time

Digital technology is expected to improve the quality of patient care through remote monitoring.

Marianne boix

Solutions for producing greener steel

Marianne Boix, Lecturer at Toulouse INP-ENSIACET , Fabrice Patisson, CNRS researcher and Professor at Nancy Ecole des Mines and head of the Energy-Processes Masters at University of Lorraine

On November 7th, 2023 5 min reading time

Declining global IQ: reality or moral panic?

Franck Ramus, Director of research at CNRS and head of the "Cognitive Development and Pathology" team at Cognitive Sciences and Psycholinguistics Laboratory at Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris

On November 2nd, 2023 3 min reading time

A recent theory suggests a decline in intelligence in several countries. But this theory does not meet with consensus in the scientific community.

Case study: how Shell anticipated the 1973 oil crisis

Benjamin Cabanes, Lecturer at Mines Paris - PSL & at the MIE department of École Polytechnique (IP Paris), Orso Roger, Research Engineer at Institut des Hautes Etudes pour l'Innovation et l'Entrepreneuriat (IHEIE/PSL), Liliana Doganova, Researcher at Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation at Ecole des Mines de Paris

On November 2nd, 2023 6 min reading time

In 1973, the world economy was shaken by an oil crisis. However, Shell, a major oil company, seemed to have anticipated it.

Shell et le choc pétrolier
Laurent Berges

The effect of clear-cutting forests on the environment

Laurent Bergès, Research engineer at Ecosystems and Societies in Mountains Laboratory (LESSEM research unit) at INRAE Grenoble Centre, Jérôme Ogée, Researcher at INRAE specialising in interactions between climate and vegetation, Marion Gosselin, Ponts, Eaux et Forêts engineer at INRAE's "Forest Ecosystems" research unit (Nogent-sur-Vernisson)

On November 2nd, 2023 4 min reading time

Towards a quantum internet thanks to teleportation

Sophie Hermans, AWS Quantum Postdoctoral Scholar at IQIM (Caltech)

On October 25th, 2023 3 min reading time

Thanks to recent discoveries, researchers are developing a quantum internet in which “qubits” will be sent by quantum teleportation.

Can we develop our intuition to counter misinformation?

Patrice Georget, Lecturer in Psychosociology at the University School of Management IAE Caen

On October 25th, 2023 9 min reading time

Combating misinformation means asking three questions about knowledge: what to trust, how to trust and who to trust.

CABANES_Benjamin

The scenario method: an aid to strategic planning

Benjamin Cabanes, Lecturer at Mines Paris - PSL & at the MIE department of École Polytechnique (IP Paris), Orso Roger, Research Engineer at Institut des Hautes Etudes pour l'Innovation et l'Entrepreneuriat (IHEIE/PSL), Liliana Doganova, Researcher at Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation at Ecole des Mines de Paris

On October 25th, 2023 5 min reading time

Can the energy transition succeed?

Olivier Sala, Vice-Chairman of ENGIE Group, in charge of research and innovation, Jordi Badosa, Technical director of the interdisciplinary Energy4Climate centre in the Dynamic Meteorology Laboratory (LMD) at Ecole Polytechnique (IP Paris)

On October 18th, 2023 3 min reading time

The urgency of climate change requires simultaneous developments on a range of technical solutions, which we will have to combine to decarbonise emissions.

Rising sea levels and subsiding towns: a double threat to the coastline

Rémi Thiéblemont, Engineer and researcher at the French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM), Mélanie Becker, Geophysicist and director of research at CNRS, expert in sea level science

On October 18th, 2023 4 min reading time

Rising sea levels - due to global warming - directly affects 11% of the world’s population.

Pierre-Pol Liebgott

Transforming organic waste into hydrogen using marine bacteria

Pierre-Pol Liebgott, Researcher in Microbiology at IRD, Hana Gannoun, Lecturer in Biochemical Engineering, specialising in "Environmental Bioprocesses and Bioenergies" at UTM-ISSBAT

On October 18th, 2023 3 min reading time

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-Saclay) and Professor at École Polytechnique (IP Paris)

On October 10th, 2023 4 min reading time

Alain Aspect (Nobel Prize in Physics 2022), explains the “second quantum revolution”, driven by the discovery of the principles of the isolation of quantum objects.

More columns here
0_defisIA
π Digital π Science and technology

What are the next challenges for AI?

0_PROSPECTIVE
π Society π Economics π Industry π Planet

Foresight: understanding the methodology

0_generique_geopolitiqueMatieres
π Geopolitics π Economics π Energy

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

Episode 1 / 7
new

The switch to electric cars increases our dependence on China

María Eugenia Sanin, Lecturer in Economics at Université Paris Saclay and Research Associate at École Polytechnique (IP P..., Olivier Perrin, Partner in the energy, resources and industry sector at Deloitte

Episode 2 / 7

How decisions around energy shape geopolitical power

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

Episode 3 / 7

Gas: intermediate energy source or energy of the future?

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

Episode 4 / 7

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 5 / 7

Predicted scarcity of metals and rare elements are causing geopolitical tensions

Emmanuel Hache, Economic analyst at IFP Énergies nouvelles

Episode 6 / 7

“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 7 / 7

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

María Eugenia Sanin, Lecturer in Economics at Université Paris Saclay and Research Associate at École Polytechnique (IP P...

All braincamps

Our world explained with science. Every week, in your inbox.

Get the newsletter