Originally posted by Loser: Les Imortals, I think they call them. I don't know what the real name of the institution is, but once someone it appointed to the board they are on it for life. I believe it was started during the French Revolution and I'm pretty sure they just recently curbed the term 'email'.
I await correction/calification from the appropriate source. UE?
It should be "Les Immortels", I know, I am nitpicking there. Then they are really the "French Academy" (not sure how it should be properly translated in English), but as for the real power of these "not really young" academicians, I will let UE speak about such matters if he knows more of this oddity.
Incidentally, the translation of email is supposed to be "mél" in French, and it only occurred two or three years ago. But according to them, we shouldn't be talking about "e-mails" in French. (According to them being hopefully the key word)