A cool thingy

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

The aim of the "Le Bidule" project is to highlight research funded by the ANR in order to promote science in an innovative way, encouraging lively dialogue between science and society.

But what on earth is this thingamajig? Whether electronic, plastic, acoustic, or atomic, the thingamajig is a scientific object generally unknown to the general public. But could you guess what the researcher who uses it does? This is the challenge set by "Le Bidule," a science communication project launched by the University of Montpellier that "aims to promote research funded by the French National Research Agency," explains Julie Aubourg from the UM's Science and Society Department, who has been leading the project since September 2023. For the first season of Le Bidule, 14 researchers who have received ANR funding will see their work shared with the general public.

How? First, with videos depicting a meeting between two scientists who know nothing about each other but must guess the field of research of their interlocutor. "We give them an envelope containing a series of clues, a few keywords, and of course a photo of the thing in question," explains Julie Aubourg. Each person then conducts an investigation to try to determine the other's research topic.

Facilitate understanding

"The first video was presented to the public during the science festival, and viewers also tried to figure out the researchers' specialties along with the scientists. They wanted to learn more," says Julie Aubourg, who took advantage of this event to present another approach chosen to promote these projects: interactive illustrations that make research topics visually appealing and engaging. The goal is to make scientific projects easier to understand by making them accessible to everyone.

While these educational tools are designed for anyone interested in science, they are also aimed at high school students, and their teachers will be able to use them in class with teaching materials and activity sheets. "All content will be available on the project website, where visitors can watch videos, view illustrations, explore interviews, and download related educational 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 Montpellier University Hospital—with more than forty researchers unveiling their gadgets to inspire others.