for fun, here is an excerpt from the nationwide "Nagui Show" at RTL radio, where science is never considered as too seriously. We were speaking about rovers and in particular about Apollo 16's LRV during Lunar Grand Prix ("Wav" file) Enjoy !

Translation :
- One went at excess speed ?
- Yes : it went at 17 km/hour !
- Wow + many "Oh La La"s...
- It's super dangerous !

Oh la la la, oh la la la.

Oui, très dangereux!!!

It's an original soundtrack, with no treatement?

From the intonation used, it seems obvious (for a french ear at least) that they are joking, what we call second degree (not to be taken literally), making for fun as if they were really scared by such an incredible speed.

I don't ear french radios and TVs, but it is well known that science and technology are often dismissed, mocked at, or when presented seriously, it is much too often late in the night, so that only rich people can hear it, not workers who have to get up early to work (as soon as 4 or 5 in the morning, with summer time).

Richard,

I used to record late programmes when I have to get up at 4 or 5.
DVD recorders are now less expensive (or you can find a brand-new VCR for less than 60 euro)

-- Rakhir

Yes, this is the original soundtrack.
Besides, the show itself was not mocking science at all, just having some fun with it. A lot of funny space events that happened during human and robotic mission were given during this show and fully explained to the audience : it was very informative and quite educational...

Vikingmars,

I was listening to the Nagui show on that morning: you're a funny man!! A very entertaining show!

BTW, just a small correction: a ticket aboard Soyuz is 20 million $, not ten. I know because I'm still missing 19 999 990,00 $!

All the best Vikingmars, keep on the good work. Another book of yours, well, you are starting to cost me a bloody fortune!!

Often, but not always.

The French culture is pretty pro-tech-heads, IMO... I mean, what country has (or had? I don't follow it *that* close) an ex-astronaut as a minister of science? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudie_Haignere

They have quite a good number of tech-centered magazines too, like 'Recherche', a bit like American Scientists but with less advertisements and Science&Vie, probably being one of the best known... I like that mag, so much better than most 'popular science' mags... Despite my English being better than French, it is a joy to read. Great they have a Science&Vie Junior too...

Well... not all countries *have* a Minister of Science. In the U.S., two ex-astronauts became Senators, and one became the NASA Administrator (though that was considered by most to have been a "failed" NASA administration).

-the other Doug

France also has a really cool TV program about science called "C'est pas sorcier!" (It's not magic!), where the presenters explain all sorts of subjects in a popular scientific manner. I think a lot of young budding engineers got their first interest in a subject from that program.

Yes "science et vie" is the best known science magazine in France. But the articles are written by journalists, which have some advantages (contain newbies summaries of the context of a discovery) and drawbacks (oversimplified). "Science et vie Junior" if the kid's edition, very good too to explain things and awake vocations. There are too "la recherche" and "pour la science" (french edition of the "scientific american") or "science et avenir" where articles are written by scientists themselves, so they are free of errors and abusive simplifications. But articles are more public-friendly than science papers, as there are recals and basic explanations for non-initiate, so that even complicated subjects can be read by at least clever peoples. Despites the heavy rationalism in France, these reviews sometimes give articles on religion or enigmas (in a scientific way, of course, but it is often very interesting). There are also specialized reviews in psychology, history, etc.

There are also amateur astronomy reviews like "sky and telescope" and "ciel et espace" which provide news, background articles, history articles, technical tips, etc. a bit in the UMSF spirit.

We have too some "alternative science" reviews, besides the science reviews on the shelves, which sometimes ask good questions. But the answers they give are more problematic... Too bad for the ones who are not enough educated and confuse those reviews with mainstream science.

Yes, I like this program. When I was younger, this one learn me a lots of things about various scientific (and non-scientifics) subject. It's a good way of vulgarisation. Now, I always watch this program (the last explain us TV transmission and image build with cathodic, LCD and plasma screen and the "TNT" : Terrestrial Numeric Television)
Richard, you missing "Espace Magasine" and "Astronomie Magasine". This last is about amateur astronomy, technnics and subjects of observation in the sky.