Science at UM [S02-ep16]: From Plushie Science to Flatsat and the Hackathon

[Podcast] - Published on February 16, 2023 under Research Centers, Science and Society, Research Structures

This week, Thierry Brassac, a science communicator at the University of Montpellier, reveals the secret behind the comforting power of stuffed animals. Our report takes you to the university’s space center to discover a “flatsat.” Finally, Eric Servat, director of the UNESCO Water Center Icireward, launches the Water4futur hackathon. A program broadcast on Divergence FM-93.9 every Wednesday at 6 p.m.

It’s a rabbit that has been by Elodie’s son’s or Caroline’s daughter’s side since they were born, while Maxime’s bed is home to a donkey, a lamb, and a bear. As for Anouk, don’t even think about taking her to school without her beaver—a meltdown is guaranteed! When he was little, Patrick’s favorite was a blue dog that served as a pajama top, while Gabriel’s comfort blanket was none other than a deer named Coquelicot. Drawn to vast white expanses, Norian lugged a penguin around with him, while Marie never fell asleep without her Bibiphoque. David, for his part, swore by his giraffe, and Nicolas truly loved his monkey Chocolat. As for me, it was to console myself for the painful loss of my cat that I acquired my latest stuffed animal, a flamboyant fox about thirty centimeters tall made of particularly soft and comforting orange and white velvet… That was two years ago!

Whether they’re bears, foxes, seals, or—why not?—lobsters or octopuses, almost all of us have fond memories of these first companions who, though lifeless, were able to offer us comfort that matched the depth of our childhood sorrows—and sometimes even our adult ones. In “grown-up” terms, we call this a transitional object. But where does this comforting power of stuffed animals come from? 

This is the challenging question faced by a multidisciplinary team of researchers—including biologists, psychologists, ecologists, biostatisticians, and science communicators—from the University of Montpellier, Paul-Valéry University, and Aix-Marseille University. They developed an experimental protocol inspired by the natural sciences and cognitive psychology to create a profile of France’s most comforting teddy bear and attempt to understand the mechanisms behind this attachment through a participatory study involving nearly a thousand participants. They recently published their study in The Journal of Positive Psychology.

Our guest, Thierry Brassac, is a science communicator in the Science Communication Department at the University of Montpellier; he has been coordinating this study for many years.

In the second half of the show, we’ll stay in the world of children’s dreams as we take you to the Montpellier University Space Center, where Pablo Boizeau will show us a Flatsat.

Our last-minute guest this week is Eric Servat, director of the UNESCO water center Icireward, who is here to talk to us about the Water4futur Hackathon taking place in Montpellier on February 16 and 17.

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting and editing: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Director: Naomi Charmetan

Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Science, Company