Drawing Nicolas Dauphas’ portrait means chasing time zones. To learn a little more about this Nantes researcher who was recently appointed to the United States Academy of Sciences, you have to consult an international address book and call from one continent to another, from North America to Asia.
Little known, his profession is never mentioned by children when asked what they would like to do later. However, its mention is an invitation to dream. “I am a cosmochemist” , summarizes Nicolas Dauphas. By that, he means specialist in the chemistry of extraterrestrial rocks, which he studies to better understand the origin of the solar system and the planets. “As a child, I collected stones everywhere. I filled my pockets with them and then exhibited them in small museums that I showed people around the house.”
Raised in the Nantes region by cheerful and inspiring parents, a truck driver father and a mother employed in administration, Nicolas Dauphas grew up without really thinking that his passion for rocks could ensure his future. Until one of his middle school teachers told his mother about the École nationale supérieure de géologie (ENSG), the leading engineering school in geosciences, based in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle).
Read also: Perseverance. Rocks taken from Mars reveal…
