Ghosts, miracles, troubling coincidences and unexplained phenomena: why are we so easily fascinated by the extraordinary? On Thursday, November 12, 2026, Professor Henri Broch is offering a free lecture in Nice to learn how to question these stories without giving up curiosity.
A dive into the art of doubt
Titled “A zeteticsjourney into the heart of the extraordinary,” this meeting organized by the association Les Amis de la Liberté will be held at Espace Garibaldi. A physicist and former professor at Côte d’Azur University, Henri Broch is known for his work popularizing zetetica, an approach that involves examining extraordinary claims with the tools of critical thinking and the scientific method.
A prominent figure in promoting critical thinking in France, Henri Broch has notably helped introduce zetetica to the general public. Nice Premium had already mentioned his presentations on the paranormal and science in a previous article.
The announced program covers subjects as varied as stars, Earth, the human body, beliefs, dogmas and the paranormal. The common thread: how do we distinguish between an established fact, an appealing interpretation and a claim that remains to be proven?
Why do strange phenomena captivate us?
Faced with a striking coincidence or a story of a supernatural phenomenon, our first impression can be misleading. Perception errors, confirmation bias or confusion between correlation and causality can contribute to giving a mysterious appearance to ordinary events.
Zetetica does not reject the unknown outright: it asks what evidence is available, how to verify it and what other explanations to consider. At a time of viral videos and content produced by artificial intelligence, this approach takes on particular resonance: a convincing story is not necessarily verified information.
A lecture open to all in Nice
Accessible free of charge, the meeting is aimed at the curious, students and anyone wishing to exercise their critical thinking. It promises a journey through science, psychology and common misconceptions, in a popular science format.
- Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- Location: amphitheater of Espace Garibaldi, Nice
- Admission: free and open, according to the organizer’s information
- Speaker: Henri Broch
- Organization: Les Amis de la Liberté
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