Nom Machine
journal

Was Toumaï a biped?

The fossils of this primate, which were discovered in the early 2000s and date back 7 million years, remain the subject of intense debate, notably as to whether they should be considered part of the human lineage.

Breathing life back into Antiquity

Cities, landscapes, monuments, even human figures: the watercolours of the architect and archaeologist Jean-Claude Golvin are an invitation to immerse ourselves in the everyday life of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Antiquity.

Why birds do not fall while sleeping

The only permanent bipeds of the animal kingdom alongside humans, birds have an extraordinary sense of balance. How do these direct descendants of the dinosaurs maintain this stability, especially when sleeping? Scientists recently succeeded in solving the mystery.

How to speak to extraterrestrials?

Interview with the linguist Frédéric Landragin, who recently published a short guide on interstellar communication.

Infrasound, sound waves that nothing can stop

What do a wind turbine, an ocean swell, and a volcanic eruption have in common? All three emit infrasound, or sound whose frequency is below 20 hertz. These sound waves, which are wrongly considered to be inaudible, can travel around the Earth multiple times, and are of interest to both physicists and doctors. A closer look.

Nations in the line of sight of international law

As the International Criminal Court considers a request to issue an arrest warrant against Israel’s prime minister and three Hamas officials for crimes against humanity, Raphaëlle Nollez-Goldbach, a specialist in the subject, looks back on the very young history of international law.

A nose for smell disorders

By depriving them more or less temporarily of their sense of smell, the Covid-19 pandemic made thousands of people abruptly realise the importance of their olfactory system. Research is now trying to decipher the causes of anosmia and to improve its treatment.

Planet 9, do you copy?

For nearly ten years, astronomers have been trying to demonstrate the existence of a massive object thought to be orbiting in the outer reaches of the Solar System. Although the hypothesis is widely debated, a recent study claims that the absence of such a body is statistically impossible.

Mai-Anh Ngo, sports and equal rights champion

Two weeks after the Olympic Games, Paris is hosting the 2024 Paralympics. A multi-medallist para-swimmer, France’s national karate kata champion in 2022 and a lawyer specialising in sports and disability law, Mai-Anh Ngo carried the Paralympic flame on 25 August.

Mai-Anh Ngo, lawyer and “hyperactive PRM”

A multi-medallist para-swimmer, France’s national karate kata champion in 2022 and a lawyer specialising in sports and disability law, Mai-Anh Ngo will carry the Paralympic flame on 25 August.