In high school, what was Félix-Antoine Tremblay’s favorite subject? Biology ? Chemistry ? Physics ? “I really liked French,” replies, at the risk of surprising you, the host of the new youth program on ICI-Télé and ICI-Explora.
“I wasn’t great at science,” he recalls, sitting at a picnic table.
Why then did you agree to host Curium, which deals with scientific subjects? “At the base, I am a curious person who is interested in people and the world around him”, indicates the one who can also be seen in the fall at the helm of the shows Fridays OD, on Noovo, and Ideas of grandeur in my backyard, at Canal Vie.
In Curium, Félix-Antoine Tremblay chats with “luminaries in their field” who answer all his questions on various subjects, such as adrenaline, means of transport of the future, climate change or even… cats.
Over the course of filming the 26 30-minute episodes, the host realized that “science is everywhere around us: in technology, in nature, in humans, in infrastructure”… “It really goes far! »
With his team, he traveled across Quebec to meet men and women of science, “extraordinary people,” he says.
Did a place mark it? “I went to Kamouraska with scientists who study mushrooms and it really captivated me. […] I learned that there are aquatic fungi that can clean up the oceans. I discovered that there are certain mushrooms that can help us build houses. Eventually, we could make bricks out of mushrooms,” enthuses the man who has discovered an unsuspected interest in science.
“We went to visit a cadaver farm too,” he continues.
“A corpse farm? we repeat, both surprised and slightly disgusted.
Yes yes. We heard of course. The secure outdoor research site, located in the Bécancour region, accommodates animal corpses, as well as human corpses. For filming, they only had access to the first section, explains Félix-Antoine Tremblay.
The presence of certain insects or plants gives clues to the state of decomposition of the body. This is what the researchers working there are studying. “They do this to help the scientific police, for example,” explains the host who did not think that such a place existed in Quebec.
Félix-Antoine Tremblay is also very grateful that he and his team were able to shoot in certain places that are difficult to access in normal times. How does he explain the welcome they received?
He also highlights the incredible work of the show’s research team, the content of which is “extremely advanced”, according to him. “It’s really designed for young people who are already introduced to science. We’re not going to mix baking soda and vinegar,” he promises.
“Curium is one of the biggest budget youth programs ever made for Radio-Canada. There’s a lot of love in there. […] I believe it has the power to bring everyone together in front of their screen and make more people love science than we think. »
1. The greatest scientific discovery of recent years? “It’s the James Webb [telescope]. […] It fascinates me enormously, what’s happening up there, and it makes me dizzy. I think that this invention will really be part of our century in a monumental way. »
2. If you were an inventor, what would you like to create? “It’s flat, but a time machine. […] I will return in some years to ask questions […] and warn people of what is coming. »
3. The biggest challenge facing scientists in the next few years? “Misinformation, unfortunately. […] We need to have scientists and the media who bring us reliable sources and I would like Curium to be part of that. It’s worrying to see how some people believe everything they are told without scientific basis. »
