Former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (1955), after secondary studies at the Lycée Condorcet (Paris).

Degree in mathematics, agrégé in physics (1959)

Doctor of Physical Sciences (Orsay 1964)

Professor at the University of Paris Sud, Director of the HMP physical hydrodynamics laboratory (ESPCI) from 1977 to 1988

Director of the Palais de la Découverte from 1987 to 1990

Director of the Ecole normale supérieure from 1990 to 2000

Emeritus professor and researcher at the PMMH laboratory (ESPCI) since 2000

Fellow of the American physical society; Fellow of the Institute of physics.

Member of the Academia Europea.

Author of 300 papers on superconductivity, liquid crystals and soft matter, physical hydrodynamics, granular media and 10 books including

 "Du sac de billes au tas de sable" and "Désordre et mélange" (O. Jacob)
 "Ce que disent les fluides" and "Matière et matériaux" (Belin)
 "La matière en désordre and Matière en grains (EDP Sciences)
 "Du merveilleux caché dans le quotidien - la physique de l'élégance" (Flammarion)