Playlist
The 4th edition of Pariscience took place from the 8th to 12th October 2008 at The Museum national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris.
What can we learn from whale parasites? Laurent Soulier believes he can save entire populations of whales by studying their parasites! The only solution: venture onto the backs of whales. Through samples, Laurent could prove that some humpback whales live in isolation.
Off the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef covers a total of 350,000 km². This exceptionally rich biotope is threatened by climate degradation, pollution, and intensive fishing. Biologists and ecologists are mobilizing. Among them, Kathleen Swalling is actively participating in a public awareness campaign to support a proposed nature reserve.
Why are flamingos pink? Do bees see the same colors as us?
How do marine inhabitants see? In the underwater world, colors quickly disappear as you descend deeper. Fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods all have very different eyes. But what can they see? Can they perceive colors? Eyes are very important organs for all living beings; they are "the windows to life."
Why do oysters produce pearls? Fred and Jamy travel to the Manihi Atoll to discover how pearl farms manage to extract beautiful nacre spheres from simple mollusks. From breeding shellfish to assembling the finest jewelry, they tell the entire story of Tahitian pearls.
In the land of Malaria, the inventors of Evil Creations are the Mad Scientists, the ruling class of the country. They are assisted by their Igor helpers, unfortunate hunchbacks destined to obey. Our Igor, not quite like the others, pursues a dream: to become a great Mad Scientist himself, surrounded by his two companions: Formolo, a brain in a jar full of wild ideas, and Rapidos, an immortal and quirky rabbit.
Is the dolphin really close to humans? The dolphin is one of the oldest mammals in the world. It has always fascinated humans with its behavior and intelligence. Thanks to the latest technologies and interventions from specialists, answers are being provided. Dolphins possess abilities and lifestyles that were once thought to be exclusive to humans.
Today, scientists are creating and studying tiny objects the size of molecules using nanotechnology. How do they do it? What are the applications? A boy and a girl discover this fascinating world as well as the exciting world of scientific research.
Is the sea elephant a barometer for our climate? The Kerguelen Islands, the kingdom of sea elephants... A female will become the subject of a groundbreaking scientific program that will revolutionize the world of science. Christophe Guinet uses this animal and its tag as a natural platform to collect as much data as possible on the ocean and climate change.
A group of American physicists has been at the forefront of the international search for the Higgs boson—the "God particle"—in the face of a government and culture that seems opposed to scientific progress. They used an outdated 7 km-long machine, while a more powerful particle accelerator was being built in Europe. Will they find the boson in time?
Why does our perception of it evolve? Some events happen so quickly that we barely have time to grasp them; others are so slow that only a time-lapse can help us understand them. Far from Earth, other evolutions, like those of galaxies, take place over billions of years...
How can disorder be best characterized? Why is the oyster iridescent? Why does h not equal lambda? Why does it sing? Where does the shape of leaves come from? And why doesn't it sing here? Why is what's underneath always better than what's beside? How does a cart work? And the tatamis, what are they for? Is it possible to write an article without proof? Why should we never be pedagogical? Why can't I work? Why should you take photos at the Jardin des Plantes? And why does a researcher research?
These questions seem to explore the mysteries of life, science, and the human experience with curiosity and a touch of irony. They suggest a deeper contemplation of knowledge, perception, and the process of inquiry, each one hinting at complexities that provoke thought and reflection.
Why recover and treat this precious water? Priscilla Telmon travels across India to meet the men and women fighting for better water management. With them, she learns how to harvest dew, analyzes a reservoir construction project, and asks questions about wastewater recycling...
Will our excrement become our new wealth? In one lifetime, a person produces over 6 tons of excrement. Despite the importance of this material, it remains taboo, so let's call it "the rose." Our roses come in many forms: Medical (our physiological balance), Historical (our origins), Technological (energy, raw materials, and even food). So, let yourself be taken on a journey to discover this bouquet...
Over the course of Evolution, an extremely sophisticated color vision process has been established. Science has now highlighted the fundamental role of our brain and is beginning to measure how color perception can be both vital information and sometimes illusory...
Humans have managed to neutralize the microbe. A victory that led to an unprecedented social and cultural revolution and the illusion of dominating the natural world. By traversing the history of the past 70 years, this film seeks to understand what has led to an increasing resistance of our bodies to antibiotics.
Is our ability to reproduce under threat? A dramatic decrease in sperm count, a surge in testicular cancer, an increase in birth defects in baby boys... Scientists are questioning: What if all these observations have a common origin? The culprits: the chemical compounds put on the market by industry that affect the endocrine system.
Was Charcot the first environmentalist of the 20th century? Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1867-1936) is the father of French polar research and modern oceanography. Isabelle Autissier invites us to revisit his Antarctic missions, which inaugurated current research and alerted humanity to the first symptoms of a sick planet.
There are two things we can say about hurricanes. First, they are the most destructive force of nature, and second, another hurricane will happen soon. A dozen scientists, researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs believe it is possible to stop them. A film that explores mankind's attempts to control hurricanes.
Henrik Svensmark, through his pioneering experiments, solved the mystery of supernova explosions in our galaxy and solar variations. Overlooked in the cacophony of discussions on global warming, he highlighted the importance of cosmic rays in cloud formation and temperature rise on Earth.
Claude Lorius, through his studies on the composition of air bubbles trapped in polar ice, was crucial to understanding the evolution of Earth's climates. In 2004, he suffered partial amnesia that led him to return to Antarctica to gradually "regain his senses" in contact with the polar ice.
Anne Aghion spent four months in Antarctica, "on the ice," with these modern-day explorers, to uncover what drives these researchers, geologists, to leave the world behind and dedicate themselves to science, enduring the living and working conditions in this extreme environment.
On September 11, 2001, New York became the epicenter of a new epidemic of anxiety and fear that quickly spread throughout the Western world. At the CNFA (Center for the Neuroscience of Fear and Anxiety) in New York, new research attempts to understand the phenomenon of fear and how it spreads, from the media to the deepest corners of our brain.
In 1956, Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher challenged the laws of perspective in his work "Exposition of Prints." This unfinished masterpiece quickly became one of the most impenetrable enigmas of contemporary art. Half a century later, mathematician Hendrik Lenstra astonished everyone by bridging the gap between the artist's intuition and his own, shattering the wall of infinity!
Immortality was not planned by nature. It is not useful for reproduction or the longevity of species, but it may not be impossible. New fields of research on living organisms, genomics, nanomedicine, neuroscience, and technological advancements today raise the dizzying question of a man with enhanced abilities, repairable like a machine, living without aging.
The Poincaré Conjecture, formulated in 1904 by French mathematician and philosopher Henri Poincaré, promised to shed light on this question… It remained unsolved for a century, during which many mathematicians tried to provide a valid proof. A century of intellectual struggle, an adventure full of heartbreaking failures and prodigious triumphs.
Celebrated as a symbol of beauty and perfection, the Parthenon has been bombed, set on fire, shaken by earthquakes, and disfigured by disastrous renovations. To save it from destruction, a team of architects and restorers must rediscover the secrets of its construction.
The incredible adventure of a group of young people under 20 who survived in the mountains, at 4,000 meters altitude, for 72 days, breaking one of humanity's greatest taboos... One of the most extraordinary survival stories, which continues to shake the world.
After 65 years of silence, Paul and Sally Taylor, the parents of the director, decide to undergo cochlear implant surgery, a risky and controversial medical procedure. A magical and emotional love story, taking us on the extraordinary journey from silence to sound. What will they make of it? And what can they gain – or lose – forever?
By renewing our representation of the tree of life, we discover that the millions of species inhabiting the planet all belong to one vast family... A look at current knowledge in the life sciences to correct some misconceptions about evolution.
To solve the problem of waste accumulation, pollution, and resource wastage, designer William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart had a revolutionary idea: manufacture products from biodegradable or fully recyclable materials. Their expertise has won over Nike and Ford.
Is this worm, the "nematomorph," a true manipulator? A portrait of a young and brilliant team of researchers passionate about "Toto," which can teach us a lot about the strategies of other dangerous parasites for humans. Through chemical means, Toto forces the cricket to commit suicide by throwing itself into water, allowing it to return to the aquatic environment necessary for reproduction.
Should we change everything in the way we cultivate the land? Improved agricultural practices based on scientific research or innovations by farmers, alternative, concrete, and practical proposals exist. Biological control, participatory breeding, respecting soil life, food autonomy in livestock farming, and short commercial circuits are all strategies for the future.
Our planet is unique in the solar system, perhaps even in the Universe. What makes it so special is how all the forces seem to converge to create the ideal conditions for life. Today, this rare and remarkable planet faces its greatest challenge: humanity.
Was his "Natural History" 300 years ahead of its time? Mathematician, botanist, naturalist, geologist, encyclopedist, and industrialist, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, is an undeniable figure of the Enlightenment and one of the founders of modern science and research. This docu-fiction brings to life, with rigor and humor, the fate of this man.
Where does this strange ability come from? The emergence of language is one of the most important steps in human history. In 1990, a new discovery—a larynx belonging to a Neanderthal (appearing 250,000 years ago)—shocked the data. The Neanderthal man may have spoken before Homo sapiens.
In 2075, the climate predictions made at the start of the century unfortunately proved correct, and the warming of the planet now has significant consequences for our descendants. Julia in France, Idri in the Sahara, Nils and his wife Lotte, a German couple traveling in Canada, experience the consequences of global warming. A voiceover provides scientific commentary on this exceptional docu-fiction.