Didier Sornette is an expert on complexity theory. After completing a masters thesis in 1981 he went on to study the statistical physics of interfaces, chaos and turbulence.He was awarded a doctorate in physical sciences at the University of Nice in his native France in 1985... Read More

Predicting the future of the planet is usually the domain of Hollywood science fiction movies. This month’s Comment Visions takes the debate over the future of planet out of the hands of screenwriters and into the realm of scientific fact by interviewing Didier Sornette, a French scientist who researches complex systems, modelling how they evolve and develop to predict the future. With global shortages of fossil fuels, economic uncertainty and an ever expanding population, it is a case of present imperfect, future unknown as we confront the energy debate; yet differing opinions over what the forthcoming decades hold for the planet can serve to immobilise the search for solutions. Didier Sornette talks about how he thinks people will respond to these challenges, how the search for solutions will be forced upon humans by the scarcity of resources and the likely ways in which life on earth will look. By 2050 an increased population will encounter fuel and water shortages. Professor Sornette looks at three possible scenarios for the global response to these problems and predicts that future scientific research could create solutions we cannot yet imagine.

Monday: 05:15, 07:45, 15:45
Tuesday: 22:45*, 03:15
Wednesday: 11:15, 14:15, 18:45
Thursday: 05:15, 15:15, 17:45, 19:45
Friday: 11:45, 17:15, 04:15
Saturday: 09:15, 15:45, 18:45
Sunday: 09:15, 13:45, 23:15

*Starts Tuesday 22:45, all times CET.

Only broadcast in the first week of each month.