For the 37e edition, the Roberval prize distinguished scientists in different categories: general public, higher education and youth. The prize also rewarded a documentary as well as an article in the television and scientific and technical journalism categories.
During the day of December 7, the members of the jury gathered for a final meeting to establish the final ranking before announcing it in the evening at the Cité Internationale de la langue française at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts.
The winners of the different categories
- In the General Public category, Axel Cypel seduced the members of the jury with his work Journey to the end of AI – What you need to know about artificial intelligence (Editions De Boeck Supérieur). This offers analysis and decryption accessible to all to understand what artificial intelligence is and its challenges.
- On the higher education side, Integrated crop protection of Josée Fortin, Roger Doucet et Onil Samuel (Éditions Berger) won. This work, written by six hands, offers solutions to protect crops while reducing pesticides, taking into account health, the environment and food. The authors Cathie Valenton et Sylvain Gigan received a special mention in this category with Imaging the invisible with light – How modern optics is revolutionizing the imaging of living things (EDP Sciences), dedicated to new physics instruments.
- For youth, the juries chose to reward Maud Fontenoy pour The superpowers of marine animals (Nathan). In her book, the writer dives into the depths of the ocean to describe the mysteries of the marine world and its inhabitants. For their part, the students of UTC Compiègne, organizer of the prize, also voted for their favorite work: Smartphones and the making-of, discover behind the scenes of the show d’Arnaud Stiepen (They know).
- Artificial intelligence occupies an important place within this prize since Romain Raffegeau was distinguished in the scientific and technical journalism category for his article The Generative AI Revolutionpublished in the magazine Sciences & Vie Junior in which he tries to unravel the mysteries of this new technology. The Academy of Techniques awarded its favorite in this same category to the article byÉvrad-Ouicem Eljouahoura, Journey to the heart of the quantum computer published in the magazine Sciences & Vie.
- Finally, Thierry Fessard et Hugo Hernandez received the Roberval 2024 Television prize for Tower, Bridges, Stations: The genius of Gustave Eiffel revealed, a co-production RMC Production and Kwanka with the participation of RMC Découverte and Histoire TV. Hugues Demeude, François Guillaume et Herlé Jouon were awarded special mention for The Roman Genius (Grand Angle Productions).
Every year since 1987, the scientific, technical and industrial culture center (CSTI) of the University of Technology of Compiègne and its partners have organized the Roberval prize. This aims to highlight authors who make science and technology accessible to all.
For the 37e edition, the jury was made up of academics, industrialists and actors of scientific mediation including Claire Rossi (president), Luc Alba, Elisabeth Brunier, Evelyne Garnier-Zarli, Daniel Kaplan, Mohamad Khalil, Catherine Langlais, Jeannita Richard, Jacqueline Stubbe et Nathalie Verbruggen.
