Nerd Alert! This week we focus on France’s contribution to knowledge and ideas. If French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am,” then “we think, therefore we are” could be said of the French. Over the years, France has produced a wide array of world-leading thinkers at the forefront of dazzling theories about knowledge, liberty, justice, the human condition – and, of course, the meaning of life. But ask people to name a French intellectual today, and chances are they’ll mention someone long deceased: Camus, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Foucault… It begs the question: where are the intellectuals now?

This week we get festive with a look at Carnival. People tend to associate Carnival with places outside France, like Rio de Janeiro and Venice. Yet France boasts its own famous celebrations. Where do these festivals come from and what is their purpose? While carnival is celebrated all over the country, a few events stand out, like the elegant carnival of Nice in the south of France, or the wild and debaucherous carnival of Dunkirk in the north. Get ready to catch some fish – literally!

When it comes to romance, the French have the reputation of being passionate, first-class lovers. But is this just a cliché? What's it really like to go out with a French person? Are dating rules different? And what about French attitudes to marriage, divorce and infidelity? This week we focus on the ins and outs of the game of love à la française.

In this edition of French Connections, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the most central arrondissement of the French capital: the 1st. Le premier, as it's known in French, is absolutely packed with bucket-list attractions like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and Monet's water lilies in the Musée de l’Orangerie. But in this show, we take you through some of the district's lesser-known gems, including a haunting medieval castle, the world's oldest active theatre company and the most popular hot chocolate stop in Paris. Join us for a tour of the first of the capital's 20 arrondissements.

France has a rich media landscape, offering a wide range of TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines. The French media ecosystem is a mix of public service entities and private commercial players. Currently, about a dozen billionaires own or co-own most private media organisations. So what impact does this have on the content offered to the public, as well as editorial independence and media credibility? We take a closer look in French Connections.

This week in French Connections, we focus on wealth in France. According to traditional macroeconomic measures, France is a rich country. It has the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, high levels of human development, broad infrastructure and a robust social welfare system. Yet beneath that headline prosperity lies a growing gap between perception and reality, as poverty and inequality are on the rise. So what does it mean to be rich in France? Is the redistribution system aimed at ironing out inequality broken? We take a closer look.

France is known around the world for its delicious food: not only wine and cheese, but also countless mouth-watering regional dishes. So what do the French like to eat? Do they have a favourite food? Is it even possible to choose? As a bonus, we teach you how to make boeuf bourguignon, the king of classic French cuisine.

In this edition of French Connections, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the French capital's most populated arrondissement: the 15th. Located in the southwestern corner of the capital, the 15th doesn't boast a lot of tourist attractions. In fact, Parisians love to joke that this residential and family-friendly arrondissement is the capital's most boring. But while it might not be as exciting or flashy as other parts of town, it's a great place to get a taste of real, everyday Paris and discover some hidden gems. We take you on a tour.

This week we turn the spotlight onto prostitution in France. For years, prostitution laws were chaotic, but in 2016 there was a major change in French legislation. Lawmakers decided to shift the criminal burden from prostitutes to clients: selling sex is legal, but buying it is now illegal. While many anti-prostitution groups hailed the new law, others including many prostitutes said it would simply drive them underground and make their job more dangerous. So what's the situation, nearly 10 years on? We take a closer look in French Connections.

France's particular brand of secularism, known as "laïcité", is considered a backbone of the French Republic. And yet this separation of church and state is a touchy subject and often misunderstood. Its backers say it's the glue that lets the French live together in harmony despite their differences, but critics say it's anti-religious and increasingly used to stigmatise Muslims. In this show, we explore the ins and outs of "laïcité" and why it continues to be so divisive, 120 years after it was signed into law.