The morons of the Alps: myth, science and history

Conference Scientific and technical culture
october 7, 2025Saint-Martin-d'Hères - University campus
Often mocked and stereotyped, the "Alpine moron" actually refers to a person who used to suffer from physical and cognitive disorders in certain mountain regions.

This lecture will untangle myth from scientific reality by exploring the causes of cretinism, a disease linked to iodine deficiency, now well understood but historically misinterpreted.

As part of the "Science Infuse" series and the Éclats de sciences, Intelligence(s) festival, with Olivier Chabre, Professor of Endocrinology Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine, Grenoble Alpes University.

Published August 22, 2025
Updated September 4, 2025