The Earth, precariously balanced

On our planet, everything is interconnected, from terrestrial and marine ecosystems and biodiversity to ice sheets, rivers and oceans. But a recent report reveals that the dynamics of these different systems is being destabilised by human activities to such an extent that they are reaching points of no return. On the occasion of Earth Day 2024, two of the report’s co-authors ring the alarm bell.

Sacrificing land to oil

Building the petroleum society that is now the basis of our prosperity has come at a cost. Gwenola Le Naour and Renaud Bécot, co-editors of a book on the topic, bring to light the destruction caused by the “petrolisation” of our planet, in France and around the globe.

Autism in a new light

In the context of the 2024 edition of Brain Awareness Week currently being held in France, CNRS News highlights the advances made in the field of autism. Once considered the result of a rare, incurable disease, autism spectrum disorders are now the subject of intense research efforts that are improving the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

The Natchez and the French, from alliance to tragedy

In 1729, the Natchez tribe of Native Americans suddenly massacred French settlers living near them in the area around New Orleans. The retaliation was fierce, nearly wiping out the entire clan. In a newly-released book, the historian Gilles Havard, initiator of a “reconciliation treaty” proposal, sheds new light on this tragic series of events.