Weapons of Choice

Historian Patrick Boucheron revisits the most important dates in history through the prisms of memory and collective imagination.

The Great Pyramids are the only wonder of the ancient world that still stand today, the greatest of which is the pyramid of Khufu. Many theories have been offered to explain its construction, but none as convincing or unique as this one.

A series of five documentary films entitled In the footsteps of Tintin, following Tintin with a cameraman! The films are based on the theme ‘dreams and reality’. How many people, young and old, have dreamed of being a fearless hero, of travelling around the world defying danger, and of exploring far-off lands, like Tintin? This series is based on the close relationship between Hergé’s drawings, and real people and places. Arresting and inspiring sequences of images, video and sound from exotic countries, alongside pictures from Tintin’s adventures and all kinds research material accumulated by Hergé during his lifetime, make for an unforgettable experience. If you really want to step into Hergé’s universe, what better way to do so than to follow his adventures first-hand, by foot, on horseback, by camel, by car, by boat, by train and by aeroplane!

Three years after the devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, archaeological excavations uncovered treasures that had been hidden beneath the building for centuries: In addition to numerous sculpture fragments, there were also two human-shaped lead coffins. Who are the dead in these sarcophagi? What did the sculptures represent and why are they buried under the church? By venturing into previously inaccessible areas of the Gothic sacred building, the archaeologists uncovered a forgotten part of its history. An interdisciplinary team of scientists is undertaking extensive work to uncover the secrets of Notre-Dame.

A look at relevant scientific issues

At the edge of our solar system supposedly lies an immense planet. Five to ten times the size of the Earth. Several international teams of scientists have been competing in a frantic race to detect it, in uncharted territories, far beyond Neptune. The recent discovery of several dwarf planets, with intriguing trajectories, have put astronomers on the trail of this mysterious planet. Why is this enigmatic planet so difficult to detect? What would a ninth planet teach us about our corner of the universe? Could it help us unlock some of the mysteries of our solar system?

After the Notre Dame fire in 2019, two mysterious coffins were found buried beneath its floor. Where did they come from and who was inside? Follow scientists and historians as they investigate what their stories reveal about this iconic cathedral. From NOVA.

Over the past few decades, significant discoveries have been made on the very site where the pyramids were built. But now, hundreds of kilometers from the pyramids themselves, we are gaining more insight into just how they were built. Two teams of Egyptologists, one based in the middle of the desert, the other located on the Red Sea coast, are currently discovering more about the Egypt of Khufu’s time, than at the foot of the pyramids. What they found help them figure out how ancient Egyptians worked. This film has been shot from within, immersed for several weeks within these 2 archaeological missions. Authentic archaeological experiments have been filmed in real time, revealing ancient techniques and methods, unlocking certain secrets of these ancient great builders.

These scientists' motto is simple: just because a mystery is 4,500 years old doesn't mean it can't be solved. Their mission: to see through the Great Pyramid of Giza and determine, without moving or destroying a single stone, if there are hidden chambers and passages inside. What will they find?