Making sense of science
Perusing through a million matrimonial ads from the past hundred years or so reveals changes in the criteria for love over the 20th century, and hint at deeper transformations in societies themselves.
Article
06.11.2026
In 2015, archaeologists unearthed a unique artefact in Iraq: a kiln comprising two interconnected chambers dating from the Chalcolithic (7000 to 5000 BC). To find out how it worked, they decided to build a replica – with surprising results.
Slideshow
06.10.2026
Researchers have revealed the existence of an infraslow physiological rhythm during sleep in reptiles. The discovery sheds light on the evolution of sleep… and its mysteries.
Article
06.04.2026
Article
04.23.2026
The Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis is set to launch in 2028. It forms the cornerstone of a planetary defence programme designed to protect our planet from the risk of collision with near-Earth...
Article
04.20.2026
The international crisis over Greenland has highlighted the wealth of the Far North's underground resources, but at the same time obscured the role of its inhabitants in their extraction. All...
Article
01.08.2026
In the face of the climate emergency, techniques for removing CO₂ dissolved in seawater have raised some hopes and much concern. How to proceed? What rules should be established? Who should be in...
Article
11.09.2025
In 2015, the historic Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries, sought to limit global warming to 2 °C. Ten years later, the results have yet to materialise, raising questions regarding the...
Article
10.22.2025
The huge fires that burn down millions of hectares of forest in North America every year have an impact on the other side of the Atlantic. Plumes of smoke and various other pollutants have been...
Article
07.16.2025
A name frequently associated with plate tectonics is that of the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener. However, another one would deserve recognition: that of the American cartographer Marie Tharp,...
Article
07.07.2025
Sand patches dot beaches and deserts, but their origin remains an enigma. Using measurements taken in the desert, physicists have created a model that explains how they form, with a few surprises...
Article
05.31.2025
Half a billion years ago, plants, until then exclusively aquatic, set out to colonise the land. This transition transformed the Earth and its atmosphere, paving the way for terrestrial vertebrates....
Article
04.21.2025
Prehistoric sites across France, such as the famous Chauvet Cave or L’Ile d’Yeu, are being closely monitored so as to understand how they are being endangered by climate change, and avoid the...
Article
04.16.2025
Arthur is a new submersible ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) designed for underwater archaeology. Offering unprecedented performance and versatility, it is able to explore shipwrecks for treasure and...
Slideshow
03.19.2025
How to measure the dislocation of ice floes, the immense expanses of ice floating in polar seas? Easy! Create a model of the ice pack, find the best way to shake it, and watch as it breaks under the...