Knowledge of Mankind and of the surrounding Nature


The scientific indeterminism was born in the first half of the twentieth century, when researchers in quantum physics (Niels Bohr, Wolfgang Pauli, ...) have realized that it would be impossible, because of their small size, to simultaneously determine the position and the speed of the electrons orbiting around the nucleus of the atom (Heisenberg's uncertainty principle). A few researchers, like Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger, blaimed the imperfection of the quantum models of that time, that is to say, their provisional inability to translate, in an appropriate language, the characteristics of the subatomic world. In fact, the instrumental equipment has a significant influence on the state of a microscopic system and on its future development. By acting directly on the object of his observation, the observer somewhat distorts the information obtained. He gives it a statistical nature.



More generally, the study of a physical phenomenon, of a species, of a people, of a civilization, of a minority, is based upon the analysis of the collected data (waves, minerals, sediments, bones, remains of houses, bas-reliefs, manuscripts, ...). This sample, as complete as it is, however, does not reflect the studied object in its entirety. Let's take the example of the evolution of mankind: the analysis of the sediments buried in the African soil was used to isolate several evolutive stages (Australopithecus, homo habilis, homo erectus, homo sapiens, ...) and many sub-stages. These informations have led to the establishment of an anthropological tree whose new branches appear as the discoveries succeed. Sedimentation remains an exceptional process, however, which requires specific geological and climatic conditions. The lack of sediments at a given place on the continent does not mean the absence of a branch. For this reason, our sedimentary sample will remain forever fragmented and the evolution of mankind will be only partially known. The statistical approach, based on the study of the number and the nature of the sediments according to their geographical location, however allows to isolate major evolutionary trends from Australopithecus to homo sapiens sapiens. It therefore constitutes a major scientific enhancement.

Each of the dossiers echoes this probabilistic approach: the dossiers relating to the History of Science and of our most distinguished scientists as well as the dossiers relating to the Astro-Egyptology, whose content mainly results from the use of Astronomy softwares designed at the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Toulouse-Tarbes, a joint research unit of the Paul Sabatier University of Toulouse and the CNRS during the preparation of my doctoral thesis. The probability attached to each result, to each hypothesis, will increase or decrease with the future scientific developments and discoveries. Because our knowledge of Mankind and of the surrounding Nature does not cease to grow up, the contents of the dossiers and the user interface of the softwares are regularly updated - that's why their consultation and their use can only be made from this web server.

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