Jean-Baptiste Charcot: an epic science

Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1867-1936) is undisputedly the forefather of the french polar research and started modern oceanography.

Commander for some, he was an experienced sailor and navigated through some of the most dangerous seas. Doctor or explorer for others, he was above all organiser and chief of scientific missions in the polar regions and in numerous seas and oceans. Today, it is high time to see him as one of head-strong, audacious, and talented scientists of the beginning of the 20th century.

Isabelle Autissier takes us on a trip to find, between here and the other end of the world, "Charcot and his ships' shadows". Scientists help us to discover Charcot's work, which foreshadowed -often through amazing intuitions- the contemporary researches on oceans and polar regions, like attentive scholars looking after a sick planet.

Pariscience 2008
: Friday 10th October 2008 from 10h00 to 11h30