Belgian inventors

The phenakistiscope, the ancestor of cartoons

A very fast succession of images gives the impression of continuous movement, like in cartoons. It works thanks to a phenomenon called the retinal persistence. It was the Brussels native Joseph Plateau who discovered it and created the first phenakistiscope. […]

Women of science

Marie Curie, international radiancy

Marie Sklodowska-Curie, better known as Marie Curie, is the most famous scientist. Physicist and chemist of Polish origin, she is naturalized French. To date, she is the only woman to have received two Nobel prizes for her work on natural radioactivity. […]

Heard on the radio

The protective mask through History

If there is one object that symbolizes the coronavirus pandemic that affects the entire planet these days, it is the mask. A small square of plastic or fabric that has become essential to protect ourselves from the spread of Covid-19. This accessory, which acts as a barrier to microbes and other harmful substances, is not new. Thanks to the observation of the first “scientists” and doctors of the past, the mask was created, it must be said, to protect us. Here is the little story of the mask. […]

Subjects

When confinement is used to develop the greatest theories of physics.

Isaac Newton, the famous English physicist who developed the theory of universal gravitation, was also confined 3 centuries earlier. London was then hit by the Great Plague. When he was a student, the University of Cambridge sent the students home to comply with the rules of confinement, as today we have to do with the Coronavirus. This genius knew how to use his time to develop his theories in optics and solve mathematical problems. […]

Animals

How does the chameleon blend into its environment?

When we change clothes, it’s for the pleasure of wearing what we like, playing sports or dressing up. The chameleon makes fun of fashion or carnival, if it changes skin color, it is for more primary reasons. Green, brown, yellow, but also blue or pink, the chameleon is the undisputed master for changing skin. But how does it work? […]