Nom Machine
journal

Maths is a piece of cake

Mixing cake batter, following a recipe, cutting a Yule log. These everyday gestures in cooking actually conceal complex concepts from mathematics and computer science, as shown in an exhibition called "In My Kitchen" in southwest France.

Shedding coherent light on the brain

The physicist Valentina Emiliani has been awarded the 2026 Irène Joliot-Curie Female Scientist of the Year prize, in recognition of her work in neurophotonics, at the intersection of optics and neuroscience.

The magic of sound and light physics

Maïmouna Bocoum, a physicist specialising in acousto-optics at the Paris-based Langevin Institute, develops imaging technologies for the early detection of breast tumours. She was awarded this year’s Irène Joliot-Curie “Young Female Scientist” award.

Breaking the wall

Every year, the spring season heralds high-profile running events. As the Paris, Boston and London marathons have just come to a close, CNRS researchers explain why some runners experience a sudden drop in performance towards the end of the race.

Europe takes the lead in planetary defence

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 objects.

The dispossessed who came in from the cold

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 around the Arctic Circle, indigenous peoples are taking action to gain control over the mining boom in their lands.

Are video games to blame for today's violence?

At a time when the game “GTA VI”, whose launch has been postponed to November 2026, is drawing ever-greater attention in the media, a social psychology researcher investigates the impact on player behaviour of video games with aggressive content.

Women at greater risk of severe diseases

While International Women’s Day was celebrated earlier this month, women are not on a par with men, including when it comes to health. CNRS News is taking a look at illnesses that are more common, or even more severe, in women than in men, including Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, and also certain cancers. Why is it so? Scientists are examining possible explanations.

Blocking off highway to infections

By elucidating the mechanism that enables the microscopic fungus "Candida albicans" to cause an infection, a CNRS research team has opened the way towards several new therapeutic opportunities.

Avatar vs science

Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment of the cinematic saga, premiered in movie theatres in late 2025. Ecologists and biologists have been examining the scientific premises of the film and the links between science and creative imagination. So, is the rich biodiversity of the moon Pandora plausible?