In part four of this episode on "The Discoverers," Galileo, now a reputable scholar at the University of Padua, proceeds to make a telescope out of lenses with the help of his instrument maker, Marc'Antonio. In this cartoon, an attempt is made to explain Galileo's discoveries.

Lionel takes us to an Alsace flea market and unearths some shopping gems: old vintage postcards painted by a student of Picasso, a set of tires, a few saucepans, and a makeup kit that he buys for his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, or so he claims...

How would you like to learn to make your very own ochre paint? Jean-Michel and Stéphane will share their recipe, which is not unlike crêpe batter. While the paint may not be fit for human consumption, it's non-toxic and extremely durable.

Have you ever wondered where the wool from your luxurious angora sweater comes from? At the Ferme de la Croix, a lovely lady breeds angora rabbits and goats on her farm. She explains the shearing process and how she cares for her pets. We learn that one rabbit can yield forty balls of angora wool every hundred days. That's a lot of sweaters!

Episode nine of this series focuses on Galileo, a prolific inventor and scientist. He discovered the principle of the simple pendulum motion, very useful in the measure of time and later in the making of clocks.

Alessandro visits a wine festival with his breathalyzer to make sure that nothing more than some innocent dégustation (sampling) is going on. Some of the people he interviews fail the test, but one expert claims it might not be that accurate to begin with!

Meet Geneviève Morissette, a singer-songwriter from Montreal whose smart lyrics and beautiful compositions make her stand out on stage.

In this video, a representative at an ecology trade show presents some innovative building materials that are eco-friendly and will allow you to save some money on your energy bills. These materials are made out of gypsum cellulose and are used for insulation.

In this video, a young Galileo gets one of his first revolutionary ideas on how to measure time. Pretty impressive for a fourteen-year-old, huh?

Meet the members of IAM, a very popular French rap group originating from Marseille. They discuss their successful career and their latest album, Arts Martiens (Martian Arts).

Daniel Benchimol walks us through the "Coulée Verte," a peaceful passageway that cuts through Paris's twelfth arrondissement and offers a nice break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Along the Coulée Verte, you'll find a lot of green spaces, some art galleries and craft workshops, and even a nifty sundial!

In his song "Le monde est beau" (The World Is Beautiful), Oldelaf's ironic take on social networking is bittersweet and not without humor.

The Maestro explains how the revolutionary ideas of the early discoverers, which we now take for granted, were not always well received. Before Galileo, for example, everyone believed that the sun and all the other planets revolved around the earth!

Lionel and Chantal introduce a new verb, "faire du barbecue" (to barbecue), for barbecuing and verb conjugating novices. Lionel knows how to cook two birds with one grill, so to speak. Note that the verb "faire" ("to do" or "to make") is used for just about any situation in French.

Whether you're a scholar, a budding writer, or just a casual beach reader, you'll find a lot to learn in Manon and Clémentine's lesson on book-related vocabulary. Using one of the most renowned works of French literature, In Search of Lost Time, as a guide, our two friends also recite their own poem on the future of the book. Happy reading!