THEMA 2021 – Uncertainty

One concept, transdisciplinarity and multiple activities

In 2021, the College of Humanities launched its annual THEMA project: each year, one notion will be explored via the humanities and hard sciences through various activities involving students, teachers, researchers and the general public.

The first THEMA 2021 edition focuses on the notion of uncertainty. What can we be certain of? Can the sciences help us get rid of some uncertainty? Or to make it our ally?

Several events are planned to deepen this notion that has invaded our vocabulary during the year 2020 and its pandemic.

Interviews with EPFL researchers about the place held by certainty, uncertainty and doubt in their careers and in their scientific research.

Episode 1:  Kathryn Hess, professor of mathematics
>Listen to the podcast

The College of Humanities opens a space, an agora, where students can come and freely debate subjects that challenge them, with philosophy professors.

The next meetings will take place on campus in March 2022
> See past meetings

Fécule 2019 - Spectacle d_improvisation théatrale - Florent Daburon

Improvisation to learn how to move forward despite, with and thanks to uncertainty.

  • 20 hours of workshops
  • 1 internship of 6 hours
  • 1 show

> The video of the show

Twenty students signed up for this writing workshop organized by the CDH-Culture. The concept? Six writers took four students under their wing and guided them in writing a text whose first theme was: Uncertainty.

Find out more about this workshops

The UNIL/EPFL GameLab offers a video game rewriting workshop. Students will be able to rewrite an existing game to add uncertainty to it.

Saturday, Novembre 27, 2021 from 10am to 6pm: Details and registration

These meetings will bring together internationally renowned scientists and philosophers. Themes considered: what role does uncertainty play in the history of science? Chance and probability: can mathematics reduce the field of uncertainty? Can we learn to love living with uncertainty?

Tuesday, November 30, December 7 and 14, 2021
> Details and registration


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