Paris (AFP)

A nice revenge: left from Science and Life to preserve their editorial independence, a dozen journalists will launch at the end of June a new scientific monthly, "Epsiloon", with the ambition of dusting off a genre inseparable from their "venerable old newspaper".

Their project, carried by the group specializing in the youth press, Unique Heritage Media (UHM), was unveiled on Monday.

At the end of March, nine journalists working for Science et Vie, including almost all of the titular editors, had formalized their resignation due to disagreements with the sulphurous group Reworld Media, owner of the title since the summer of 2019.

They deplored in particular a lack of staff and the loss of control of the magazine's website, entrusted to non-journalist content managers who accumulate errors.

They all decided to embark on the Epsiloon adventure alongside Hervé Poirier, former editorial director of Science et Vie who left last fall after 21 years at the house, and Mathilde Fontez, the former deputy editor-in-chief who followed him in January.

In total, about fifteen journalists - all of whom have worked with Science et Vie - including 8 permanent staff, are participating, this tandem explained to AFP.

- "More modern" -

Astronomy, climate, technology, archeology ... Their new publication will question each month "a hundred scientists" and will explore "the world at all scales, from the infinitely small to the infinitely large, from the most elementary phenomenon to the most. complex, from the deepest to the lightest subject, "promises a press release.

From where its name, reference to the Greek letter which, in mathematics, "indicates the very small" and "the immensely large", with a double O, orthographic innovation allowing a logo in the form of the symbol ∞, which represents l 'infinite.

With its "more refined" model which puts "stories in the foreground", Espiloon wants to be "more modern" and "dynamic" than Science et Vie, according to Mathilde Fontez.

Among the topics covered in the first issue, a "hilarious story" on "universal adolescence" discovered by ethologists (specialists in the behavior of animal species), where we learn that "teenage mice abuse alcohol" while "teenage chimpanzees love to go out in groups", relates Mr. Poirier.

A "Pop science" section will give pride of place to funny scientific revelations, while the "Labyrinth" section will explain, for example, "why we do not understand anything about 5G".

Less focused on scientific advances, "we are going to brew much larger than our venerable old journal," assures Mr. Poirier, presenting his team as "storytellers" rather than professors.

- Flock of supporters -

Sold for 4.90 euros, the first issue will be printed in 100,000 copies, told AFP Emmanuel Mounier, president and founder of UHM (Le Journal de Mickey, National Geographic Kids ...), polytechnician and avid reader of Science et Vie "since the age of 10", won over by the project after a meeting with Hervé Poirier at the start of the year.

A pre-subscription campaign is also launched from Monday until June 10 on the crowdfunding platform Ulule, with a stated objective of 1,500 subscribers, Mr. Mounier aiming instead at 5,000.

But it will take "25,000" in the long term to guarantee the profitability of the title, for which UHM is investing "a little over a million euros".

The task is not impossible with regard to the "more than 300,000 subscribers" that count Science et Vie and Sciences et Avenir, he underlines.

If successful, specials, a website or podcasts will be developed next year ...

This launch is supported by a slew of personalities, from astrophysicist Françoise Combes to mathematician Cédric Villani, including designer Philippe Starck, actor Thierry Lhermitte and explorer-doctor Jean-Louis Etienne.

Many voices were raised at the end of last year to defend Science et Vie, a century-old publication respected by the general public and researchers.

A petition launched by economist Julia Cagé has thus collected nearly 28,000 signatures.

The Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot had for her part launched a mission on aid to the press which should in the future be conditional on the presence of journalists in the editorial staff.

But for the time being, at Science et Vie, none of the incumbents who left in March has been replaced, deplores Ms. Fontez.

© 2021 AFP