Valorization of the results of fundamental research
Karine Gadré, Doctor of Astronomy, University of Toulouse, France
Karine Gadré,
Culture Diff' company-header and founder,
Doctor of Astronomy, University of Toulouse, France,
Member of the Astronomers for Planet Earth Collective,
Member of the Science(s) en Occitanie network.
« The Culture Diff' company was founded in the year 2000 with the aim of disseminating scientific culture and promoting the results of fundamental research - in the field of Egyptian archaeoastronomy, in particular. At that time indeed, I was preparing a doctoral thesis on this subject at the interface between the exact sciences and the humanities at the University of Toulouse, France. The aim was to identify, to the stars that dot our skies, those whose hieroglyphic names adorn the sides of sarcophagi and the ceilings of ancient Egyptian temples and tombs - in other words, to reconstruct the sky map of ancient Egypt. A professional project that has become the common thread running through an entire life devoted, on the one hand, to capturing light coming from the Universe using appropriate devices and, on the other hand, to recreating, using dedicated algorithms, the light that bathes every parcel of our Earth. This light that sets our atmosphere in motion, outlines the surrounding landscape, brings life, guides our steps, directs our gaze, fills our minds and nourishes our imagination. » Read more ...
Still and moving images are excellent vectors for disseminating scientific culture. Some images can be acquired using a specific photographic technique and then reworked using algorithms in order to best illustrate the desired concept. Others, by contrast, describe realities that are physically inaccessible, or belong to the past or the future, and must be generated using appropriate digital tools: cartography, algorithms, graphic interfaces. Hence stills taken from screenshots, animations based on modeling.
Photographs taken in the Occitanie region, southern France, on the one hand, various digital simulations on the other hand, are the main media for disseminating scientific culture on this website.
Our Earth is the only habitable - and inhabited - planet we know of, within a radius of five light-years or so. It alone is capable of harboring life, protecting it from the flow of radiation and energetic particles originating from the nearby and distant Universe, and carrying it safely from one end of our galaxy, the Milky Way, to the other. Because it is located at a fair distance from its host star, our Sun, because its magnetic field acts as a protective energy shield, because its thin layer of atmosphere filters out harmful radiations and consumes space debris, because volcanism and plate tectonics have contributed and continue to contribute, today, to the formation, movement and renewal of continental surfaces and the ocean floor, bringing to the surface various chemical elements stored at depth and necessary for the appearance, the preservation and perhaps even the complexification of life.
Thanks to a wealth of photographs taken in the Occitanie region, digital simulations and 2D/3D models accompanied by short texts, discover these elements that explain the uniqueness of our Earth in the Universe.
Since the end of the last Ice Age - around 12,000 years ago - the Earth's surface has remained virtually unchanged: divided into seven continents covered with ice, rock or vegetation, depending on altitude and latitude, and separated by vast expanses of ocean. The Natural Earth imagery uses light and shadow effects to depict continental and oceanic landforms, and color gradations to depict the Earth's surface devoid of any human influence - just as it was at the very beginning of the Neolithic period.
In those remote times, the Earth's surface was topped by a celestial vault dotted with thousands of points of light whose relative movements were recorded by nomadic peoples who grouped them into categories: the Sun and Moon on the one hand, the stars and planets on the other. This was followed by spatial location (solstitial and cardinal points) and temporal divisions (days, seasons, years), as witnessed by the many rock and architectural remains left by the peoples and civilizations of Antiquity, which the development of modern tools leads to decrypt. Read more ...
Ever since we first formed civilizations, we humans have been shaping our environment. First, we have diverted rivers from their natural course for the purposes of irrigation, quarried and hewn stone to build monuments and communication routes, extracted minerals for warfare and defense, and eradicated species we deemed a threat or danger. In a second phase, we have industrialized our processes for extracting raw materials, for weaving, for cultivating and breeding, multiplied our movements and extended our infrastructures. In the course of our expansion, we destroyed natural spaces, subdued and even eradicated species we considered useless - and undesirable, polluted our atmosphere, the surface of the continents, the deepest oceans, even triggered earthquakes. In the space of just two centuries, we humans have appropriated all the mineral, vegetal and animal resources of value to us, at the risk of exceeding planetary limits. By what right? With what consequences?
Nature is at the heart of this new section. A growing number of photographs accompanied by short texts will be published. Because a sense of wonder and understanding of what's at stake is a step towards protecting and safeguarding ... Read more ...
Three types of products are sold exclusively on the www.culturediff.org website:
photography prints : selective photographs acquired in the Occitanie region, southern France, a few photographisms as well as 4K UHD screenshots from 2D/3D models, are (or will soon be) available for downloading and printing, on Hahnemühle FineArt paper or ecological and sustainable paper. More info ...
three astronomy software packages : these digital tools, developed during my doctoral thesis, enable to carry out in-depth and accurate archaeoastronomical studies - in particular, to determine the heliacal rising and setting dates of any star visible to the naked eye, the days of solstices and equinoxes, and the astronomical source of orientation of any monument erected since the year 4713 BC. More info ...
Log in to the Client Area and test each of these software packages for free! Purchase these softwares and gain lifetime access to their complete and regularly updated user interface.
various books and journals related to Egyptology : each issue of the Cahiers Caribéens d'Egyptologie, the journal i-Medjat and a number of books in paper or digital format written by specialized researchers, each in their own discipline, are also available for sale or free download. More info ...
The Culture Diff' client area is open to everyone. Log in with your e-mail address and ...
download some of the finest images designed to illustrate the Earth in the Universe, ArchaeoAstronomy and Life on Earth sections. These include photographs acquired within the Occitanie region, southern France, photographisms resulting from the application of image processing algorithms to some of these photographs, and 4K UHD screenshots generated by 2D/3D modeling,
test for free the softwares designed during my doctoral thesis for the needs of a modern archaeoastronomy. The free versions of these programs will enable you to determine, with precision, the heliacal rising and setting dates of the star Sirius anywhere on Earth, the days and times of the solstices and equinoxes within the current year, as well as the astronomical source of orientation of the Cheops pyramid at Giza,
access the complete user interface of the softwares designed during my doctoral thesis for the needs of a modern archaeoastronomy. These programs will enable you to accurately determine the heliacal rising and setting dates of any star visible to the naked eye anywhere on Earth, the days of solstices and equinoxes, and the astronomical source of orientation of any monument erected since 4713 BC.
Respect for your privacy (RGPD)
Use of open source softwares
Very low environmental impact
Since its creation in 2000, the Culture Diff' company has specialized in three main activities:
Scientific, technical, institutional and media watch : gathering, analyzing and disseminating information in the vast field of Earth and Universe Sciences - via RSS feeds, newsletters, press articles, social media, etc,
scientific editing and publishing : writing, translation (FR // EN) and publication of scientific articles, press releases, blog articles, books, news, news briefs + design of digital photographs and photographisms, interactive cartography, digital simulation and 2D/3D modeling tools, animations illustrating scientific themes,
scientific communication : creation, optimization, referencing and animation of websites (HTML / CSS / PHP, SPIP, Wordpress) + animation of social networks (Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Academia.edu, Bluesky, Mastodon) + content syndication (RSS feeds, Scoop.it, Pixels. com) + participation in seminars, scientific conferences, public lectures, round-table discussions + contribution to planetarium shows, art and science shows, photography exhibitions, virtual reality workshops + press contacts (articles, interviews, podcasts, short films, TV documentaries, etc.). More info ...
