Ever taller… By Joachim DE KERMADEC

 This is what the top of the Kingdom Tower will look like...

The building of the Kingdom Tower was launched three years ago in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It should be finished in 2020, becoming the tallest tower in the world, with its final height exceeding one kilometre!

People and architects have always wanted to build taller than before, with the aim of succeeding in new and more difficult technical challenges.

Adrian Smith, the Kingdom Tower’s architect, included a lot of new technical challenges to his project. For example, he designed a triangular tower in order to optimize its resistance against strong winds. The elevator company KONE is rising to the challenge of taking people to the top of the building in a very short time. They created an elevator which can reach a 10 m/s speed, allowing people to reach the top of the tower in only 72 seconds.

The tower will cost 1.2 billion dollars, which makes a lot of people wonder: why build a tower like this in the desert? The prince Al-Walid, who finances the tower, answered that it is to show that Saudi Arabia invests its money for the country, in spite of the crises. It’s a political message to show the wealth of Saudi Arabia. Indeed, a tower like the Kingdom Tower is good for notoriety and attracting economic investment. For example, there is now a big and very attractive city around the Burj Khalifa.

However, this record will be short-lived because Saudi oil is going, sooner or later, to run out… And China has announced the construction of the Bionic Tower for 2022 which will be 200 meters taller than the Kingdom Tower. Adrian Smith says that each skyscraper tells us a lot about the environment, the era, a country’s ambitions…

http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/tendances/architecture/kingdom-tower-la-plus-haute-tour-du-monde-sort-de-terre-en-arabie-saoudite-154867

http://wellcom.fr/presse/kone/2014/06/equiper-kingdom-tower-arabie-saoudite/

http://www.lejdd.fr/Economie/Actualite/La-hauteur-exacte-de-la-Kingdom-Tower-est-secrete-623530

https://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_kingdom-tower-bientot-la-plus-haute-tour-du-monde?id=8257511

Science et Vie Junior, 318, mars 2016

http://projets-architecte-urbanisme.fr/kingdom-tower-gratte-ciel-arabie-saoudite-jeddah/

Joachim de Kermadec wants to be an architect.

Getting a job… By Foucauld DE CROMIERES

 

People have difficulties finding a job. One of the main reasons for unemployment can be discrimination… 3 people out of 10 say they have been victims of discrimination. In fact, it is an employer (or a recruiter) who in the end chooses who is going to work in a company, whatever the law says…

Job applications, even from well-qualified people, are often rejected because of the origins, sex, or physical appearance of the applicant.

Governments around the world try to reduce these discriminations. In France, there are numerous laws and rules that employers have to respect when hiring somebody. The most important is the anonymous CV. This CV only contains the experience and the competences of the candidate (no name, no age, no photo). This means the employer cannot judge a candidate on his or her physical appearance but only on his competences.

Another important law concerns cases in which (potential) employees consider that they have been victims of discrimination: they can file a complaint against the employer. Today, the Justice system is there to help them fight against prejudice.

In spite of all these measures, discrimination in the jobs market is on the increase because our world is corrupt and so the victims of discrimination do not always win, because the employer has more power than the candidate…

Also, not all the victims of discrimination file complaints. This is often because they are afraid or resigned to their fate and justice is not applied…

You can have a role in this fight against job discrimination! You can help the victims through associations by giving them assistance or moral support by listening to them. By becoming a mediator, you can reduce this form of injustice.

Sources:

Sciences économique et sociales TES  édition Bordas (2012)

http://www.lexpress.fr/emploi/conseils-emploi/discrimination-a-l-embauche_1497636.html

http://www1.pole-emploi.fr/faq/faqemployeur;JSESSIONID_FAQUNIFIEE=2kf2XGxN0ptJTLQLJP6Xghv925mQpjrc1L9pzHbbLjj4yr7DXBBc!2069079730?question=243&rubrique=47&soustheme=5099&theme=5094#243

http://www.senat.fr/lc/lc203/lc203_mono.html

http://www.ideasrh.fr/blog/discrimination-a-l-embauche/

http://www.etudiantdeparis.fr/node/151

http://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/droit-du-travail/relations-au-travail/harcelement-discrimination/article/la-protection-contre-les-discriminations

Foucauld DE CROMIERES wants to work in Human Resources (and is going to be a  FAIR recruiter!).

Expelled for working too hard... By Pierre GIBERT

Marius Youbi

Recently, a Cameroonian student was expelled from Denmark because he had worked “too much”... Marius Youbi exceeded by one hour and a half the work limit for foreign students. The thirty-year-old man worked in a cleaning job to pay his electrical engineering studies. He only needed two semesters to finish his course…

Regulations are very strict in Denmark for non-European Union students. The Danish government passed a law to reduce the number of immigrants. That’s totally unfair for this man who was described as the best student in the school. He had to go back to Cameroon and start a new life. More than four years of his life have gone up in smoke. But it’s not the only case in Denmark: a Nepalese man was forced to leave the country with his wife and his son because he also exceeded the number of hours for a part-time job.

A petition was signed by more than 18,000 people with the aim of halting Mr Youbi’s deportation and to give him his engineering diploma. The recent incidents in France, Germany and Belgium don’t tip the scales in the immigrants’ favour either. At the last elections in June, the Popular Party, which is against immigration, received 21% of the vote. Consequently, the domestic policy of Denmark now dissuades foreigners from settling down in their country. This is why the government has decided to apply the rules to the letter in order to control immigration.

As far as I’m concerned, I can understand that the Danish Government doesn’t want to host too many migrants, especially unqualified workers or retired people who aren’t able to help the country. But in the case of Marius Youbi, he was going to be an engineer, and would certainly find a job in a great company in Denmark. It would have been a benefit for the Danish economy…

Links:

An article from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/08/marius-youbi-foreign-student-forced-to-leave-denmark-exceeding-part-time-work-limit 

Another article in French from Le Figaro:

http://etudiant.lefigaro.fr/les-news/actu/detail/article/un-etudiant-camerounais-expulse-du-danemark-pour-avoir-trop-travaille-18597/

A video from CCTV News: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWpum2S6aQg

An article from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/19/danish-peoples-party-dahl-border-controls-election

Pierre GIBERT wants to be an engineer like Marius Youbi.

Paris-New York in three hours? No problem… By Thibaud PAYA

Possible QSST design by Lockheed Martin

On the 26th November 2003, the Concorde landed on its final flight at Filton, Bristol in the United Kingdom. 15 years later, the return of supersonic passenger air travel is one step closer to reality; NASA announced a quieter supersonic passenger jet is being developed…

The major problem of supersonic planes is the famous “bang” when a plane breaks the sound barrier which can create enough energy to burst windows. To solve this problem, NASA selected a team, led by the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, to design Quiet Supersonic Technology (QSST). “Developing, building and flight testing a quiet supersonic X-plane is the next logical step in our path to enabling the industry's decision to open supersonic travel for the flying public," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission. In order to make that happen, NASA plan to refine the design with a special fuselage made up of large wings at the rear of the plane.

The objective is to create a plane which can reach 2000 km/h. NASA will spend $20 million to examine feasibility. This plane will be the opposite of its predecessor (Concorde) as it is to be quiet and more environment-friendly. Another goal is to make profits. Each ticket for a flight on Concorde cost around €6000, mostly because of its fuel consumption. If this project becomes real, it will be possible to reach New York from Paris in only three hours.

This project is part of a huge 10-year plan launched by NASA Aeronautics with the aim of entering a new era in aviation, with cleaner, quieter and faster planes. To do that, President Obama recently promised federal support.

‘X-planes’ are still at the research and development stage. The purpose of the research is to bring back supersonic commercial flight but with reduced fuel use, emissions and noise. Flights are expected to start around 2020.

Sources :

http://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/high-tech/transports/20160302.OBS5678/la-nasa-veut-relancer-le-vol-supersonique.html

http://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/aeronautique/la-nasa-prepare-son-avion-supersonique_1342043.html

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-begins-work-to-build-a-quieter-supersonic-passenger-jet

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-aeronautics-budget-proposes-return-of-x-planes

Thibaud PAYA wants to become an engineer, working in aviation or in the car industry.

The mystery of Nefertiti’s tomb… By Camille TKATCHOUK

Bust of Nefertiti
Egyptian Berlin of Museum

Everything begun in the summer of 2015 when the British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves declared it was clear that the tomb of Tutankhamun was hiding something behind its walls…

A few months later, Reeves exposed his theory to the world and to the Egyptian Government. The Egyptian authorities undertook new searches using modern technologies. On the 17th of march 2016, the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty, declared during an international press conference in Cairo that the results reached by Hirokatsu Watanabe, a Japanese scientist who used a Ground Penetrating Radar in the Tomb, suggested the presence of two empty spaces or cavities beyond the decorated North and West walls of the Burial Chamber.

These results comforted Reeves in his convictions. He is now sure that Tutankhamun’s tomb is hiding the Burial Chamber of one of the most legendary Egyptian queens, Nefertiti. This majestic queen held a major political and religious role 3300 years ago alongside her husband, the well-known pharaoh Akhenaton, Tutankhamun’s father. Even if Nefertiti wasn’t Tutankhamun’s mother, the young pharaoh’s sepulchre could contain her burial chamber. Tutankhamun died prematurely at the age of eighteen after only nine years of reign. At this time, pharaoh’s burial places were massive and took very long to build. Tutankhamun’s death was unexpected and instead of building a new tomb, which would have taken too long, Egyptian priests could have ordered the reopening of Nefertiti’s Tomb in order to host the mummy of their beloved pharaoh.

To me, the discovery of her Burial Chamber would be an amazing opportunity to learn more about Nefertiti’s mysterious dynasty; there are many unanswered questions regarding their family tree…

Amateurs of Ancient Egypt and the international press are looking forward to being given more details at the end of April. Further research is being carried out and it might lead to the most incredible discovery of the 21st century!

Links:

http://www.factumfoundation.org/pag/233/Nicholas-Reeves-apos-s-hypothesis---i-Nefertiti--A-possible-discovery---i-

http://actu.orange.fr/societe/culture/tombeau-de-nefertiti-dans-celui-de-toutankhamon-il-faudra-encore-patienter-CNT000000mkAcY.html

http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/egyptologie-a-la-poursuite-de-nefertiti-02-04-2016-5680843.php#xtref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.fr%2F

Camille TKATCHOUK wants to become an Egyptologist.

Avalanche! By Paul BATAILLE

 

Last winter, there were several avalanches in the Alps. Five soldiers of the “Légion étrangère” lost their lives in a big one... The danger of avalanches, however, is not in fact as great as we might imagine (the media tend to dramatize). In 2012, 17% of mountain deaths (36 people) were due to snowslide (compared to 82 who died because of hiking accidents). However, avalanches obviously still are a major danger for mountain climbers.

Avalanche meteorologists study snow and the causes of avalanches, and thus contribute to making mountaineering safer. There are three mains types of avalanches.

The first is “powder snow avalanches”. They occur during and just after snow fall. They are very fast (about 120km/h) and made of non-cohesive snow, creating a spectacular powder cloud. But those avalanches are not so dangerous because they happen during bad weather conditions, thus few people are usually out in the mountains when they happen.

The second type of snowslide, and the most dangerous, is “slab avalanches” made of compact snow. During snowfall, wind creates slabs which appear steady, but actually are not. Even a little pressure can make them come down. They can happen after just a dozen people pass over the slab, or, in a lot of cases, after another snow fall. They’re very unpredictable.

The third type of avalanche is “spring avalanches”. As the name indicates, they happen during spring when snow is melting. Because of rain, snow becomes more liquid and there is water flow.

To avoid getting trapped in an avalanche, you need to find out about the possible risks before leaving. And you must always carry an AVD (Avalanche Victim Detector), plus a  snow shovel and a probe, whatever the conditions are.

Links:

http://www.chamoniarde.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Livret-LA-BASEbasdef.pdf

http://www.anena.org/7468-bilan-des-accidents-d-avalanche-2014-2015.htm

http://www.ledauphine.com/haute-savoie/2013/07/21/on-a-un-peu-tendance-a-l-oublier-la-haute-savoie-est-avec-le-var-le-departement-francais-ou-tout

http://www.opex360.com/2016/01/19/qui-etaient-les-cinq-legionnaires-emportes-par-avalanche-lors-dun-entrainement-en-savoie/

http://www.ac-grenoble.fr/eps/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Rapport-recherche-accidentologie.pdf

Paul BATAILLE wants to become a professional mountain guide.

Will your doctor soon be able to print a human organ on demand? By Claire JOURDET

Over the last few years, 3D-printing has become all the rage. It allows us to recreate all kinds of stuff. But, body parts?!

Eighteen  people die every day because they cannot get an organ transplant. 3D printing of replacement organs could considerably reduce this number. Bio-printing of human tissue has increased fast: Organovo, based in San Francisco, “printed” a human liver in 2014.

Mike Renard the Executive vice-president of commercial transactions of Organovo, said in 2013: “In the next 10 years it is possible that supplemental tissues, ones that aid in regeneration, will progress through design, clinical and regulatory testing, making it to the clinic as therapies. Examples may include […] patches to assist a heart condition […]. But more advanced replacement tissues will most likely be in 20 years or more.”

The liver that Organovo created has been used only in the laboratory for medical studies and research on medicinal products. The creation of a viable liver is a huge step for the bio-printing and medical industry; it needs to prove that human tissue printed in 3D can be kept alive long enough in a human body.

The Methuselah Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Virginia, promised a reward of $1 million to the first person able to print a fully functional liver…

Developing human tissue impressions that will last for a long period of time could change radically the world of Medicine. It will allow, for example, pharmaceutical companies to test medication on human organs instead of animals, and research will get more accurate results.

Still, it might take a very long time before 3D printed organs are used on humans... And, if and when this happens, will we not face an ethical quandary: could the possibility of indefinitely replacing body parts not make us immortal?

Links:

http://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/sciences-prospective/021811755241-les-organes-imprimes-ouvrent-une-nouvelle-page-de-la-medecine-1211133.php

https://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_kidney#t-35373-

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n8/full/nbt.2958.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/05/02/michael-renard-print-shift-interview-health/

Claire Jourdet wants to become a dentist.