16 November 2023

14:50 – 15:35

Amphithéâtre Painlevé

Harry Bernas

Harry Bernas is a physicist specializing in nanoscience and irradiated materials. He is a former director of the Centre de sciences nucléaires et de sciences de la matière (CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay). He is interested in the relationship between science, technology and society. On the history of nuclear power, he has published “L’île au bonheur” (Le Pommier, 2022) and, on the subject of this conference, “Les merveilleux nuages” (Seuil, 2023).

Conference: Where is nuclear France headed?

First and foremost, it is the social and economic structure that determines how energy is used. Yet societies will undergo profound change over the next three decades, as a result of changes in the climate and in living organisms. Will the announced “new nuclear” project in France contribute to a sustainable adaptation of society to these transformations by 2050? This should be the subject of an informed and democratic public debate. We offer a brief review of the history and industrial, economic and social feasibility of nuclear power in the face of the urgent demands of global change.