Actuality physics
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Michel Fournier’s big jump: coming soon?
This is the story of a man who has dreamed since childhood of travelling into space. He has fought on a daily basis for almost 20 years to achieve his objective: to jump from 40,000-meters – 7.25 minutes of freefall dressed with a stratospheric suit. In doing so, he would break 4records: 1) freefall from a record altitude, 2) highest human flight with a balloon, 3) the record amount of time in freefall and 4) fastest freefall speed. A soldier by training, Michel Fournier plans to make the most of the experience: ‘before jumping, I’ll definitely spare a few seconds just for myself’. This big jump remains first and foremost a scientific experiment that will allow advances to be made in the domain of space tourism. This is a portrait of a man out of the ordinary. Not for those afraid of heights…
Complex Systems and the Number of Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan
A mathematical model to predict the growth of deadly terrorist attacks was published on 1 July 2011 in Science along with an estimate of when attacks may occur in the future. Using a study of public data regarding human losses in Afghanistan and Irak over 7 to 10 year periods, the scientists conclude that terrorist attacks follow the mathematic schemas already known to social sciences and applicable to human activities more generally.
A portrait of the astronomer-engineer and humanist, Pierre Fedou
After reading a brief article in Science et vie (Science and life) on his idea of ‘Pulp Vision’, an amusing scroll through his personal yet professional site, and a reading of his blog where one can admire both photos of motorbikes and images of the visual display panel installed on a telescope we decided to meet the author to find out more about his scientific projects. As we ask to meet with him, he apologises for his late reply: “I’m at the top of a mountain for an observation!” We meet with Pierre Fedou, astronaut-engineer and humanist.
Science and Musicology
The 3rd ‘Science and Musicology’ meetings provided the occasion for teachers and students of the Science and Musicology double degree to present their degree as well as their professional opportunities. In the middle of the afternoon, Catherine Rudent, lecturer at Paris-Sorbonne University presented a conference that developed a musicological approach to voices in song. Towards the end of the day, students studying the double degree were offered a pleasant musical moment that varied in style from classical, to post rock and rock. It was an opportunity for all to become familiar with this juncture between science and music.
Multidisciplinary science reveals the secret history of artworks
During the 9th citizen conference of the third season of the ‘Science à cœur’ (Science at heart) series, l’Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) presented a passionate meeting with Philippe Walter, Co-director of the Centre for the Research and Restoration of Museums in France (C2RMF); to discover the multidisciplinary techniques offered by science to understand ‘the secrets of artworks’.
What if the Curie and Joliot-Curie families spoke to us of nuclear power?
‘Nothing in life should be feared, everything should be understood’ Marie Curie told her daughters. This phrase expresses all the passion that fuelled this exceptional scientist and female research pioneer. Today, at the heart of the polemic surrounding nuclear power, and at a time when the tsunami-damaged reactors in Fukushima contaminate all North-Eastern Japan, we can ask ourselves if the Curie and Joliot Curie couples suspected the consequences of their discoveries.
The “big revolution”: nanotechnology to nanomedicine
First of an entire folder dedicated to nanotechnology, this article talks about the key role of Richard Feynman in the early story of the application of nanotechnology in medicine and the importance of being small to treat diseases. The purpose of this article is also to show that nanosized drug delivery systems have already entered routine clinical use and that Europe has been pioneering in this field.
