A cool gizmo

[Flash] - Published on October 13, 2025 in Science-Society

Highlighting research funded by the ANR to promote science in innovative ways is the aim of the "Le Bidule" project, which encourages a lively dialogue between science and society.

But what is this thingy? Electronic, plastic, acoustic or atomic, the gizmo is a scientific object generally unknown to the general public. But can you guess what the researcher using it is doing? That's the challenge launched by "Le Bidule", a scientific mediation project born at the University of Montpellier that " aims to enhance the value of research funded by the Agence Nationale de la Research ", says Julie Aubourg of the UM's science and society department, who has been piloting the project since September 2023. For the first season of Bidule, 14 researchers who have received ANR funding will see their work relayed to the general public.

How do we do it? Firstly, with videos featuring a meeting between two scientists who know nothing about each other, but have to guess the other person's field of research. " We give them an envelope containing a series of clues, a few key words and, of course, a photo of the gizmo in question," explains Julie Aubourg. Each person then investigates to find out what the other is looking for.

Facilitating understanding

" The first video was presented to the public at the Fête de la Science, and viewers were also trying to find out what the researchers' speciality was at the same time as the scientists, because they wanted to know more," emphasizes Julie Aubourg, who took advantage of the event to present the other way she had chosen to promote these projects: interactive illustrations that make research subjects visually attractive and engaging. The aim is to make scientific projects easier to understand, by making them accessible to everyone.

While these mediation tools are designed for all those curious about science, they are also aimed at high school students, and their teachers will be able to use them to present them in class with teaching packs and activity sheets. " All the content will be available on the project's website, where it will be possible to view videos, discover illustrations, explore interviews and download associated teaching resources," adds Julie Aubourg.

After this first season devoted to researchers who received ANR funding in 2018 / 2019, three more will follow - in response to an ANR SAPS call for projects with partners Inrae, IRD, Inserm, and CHU de Montpellier - with over forty researchers unveiling their gizmos to make emulators.