It is in a metaphor used in particular by Newton and Blaise Pascal that the Le Havre event “On the shoulders of giants**” is rooted. This quote reminds us that as far as we can see and understand, it will always be thanks to the progress of those who came before us. And it is more essential than ever to recall the contribution of science to shed light on societal issues.
Faced with the growing chorus of disinformation and at a time of economic, health, climate or democratic challenges, challenges that are as complex as they are urgent, it is essential to recall both the legitimacy of the scientific approach and the indispensable role of science in overcoming them. They are central cogs in the proper functioning and advancement of our society. They are pillars of the future and progress. Solid foundations and deep implications of men and women who, for millennia, have rigorously produced knowledge and exposed the allegations of truths concerning us all.
Better understand science, in an objective and critical way
However, many still feel distant from this science, which is often perceived as abstract and difficult, classifying it as an “inaccessible” discipline, reserved for a “learned elite”. This observation is not without consequences and the teachings could seem pessimistic… The average level of science in our country is gradually decreasing, interest in scientific subjects in school curricula is eroding and our country lacks engineers and scientists.
ALSO READ Alain Aspect: “We need to make young people want to do science” Today, it is necessary to give everyone a taste for science again. Because how can we understand the society around us, or even make it progress, without being interested in it? Our goal is not for everyone to make it a vocation, but that together we participate in better understanding it in an objective and critical way. Mobilizing to contribute to the popularization of its disciplines, advances and research is a prerequisite that the actors of the scientific and institutional world share, to participate in the dissemination of a scientific culture.
“On the Shoulders of Giants” is one lever among others to achieve this. The city of Le Havre and the event’s partners, the Academy of Sciences, the Collège de France, the CNRS, the CEA, the CNES, Universcience and the University of Le Havre Normandy, as well as the renowned scientists who participate in it, have therefore set themselves the mission of arousing everyone’s interest in science, from a very young age. The success and attendance of the two previous editions, which brought together more than 12,000 visitors, confirm our interest in pursuing our ambition, that of transmitting and, we are convinced, of responding to a real societal and cultural need.
* Édouard Philippe, Mayor of Le Havre, Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO of CNES, Alain Fischer, President of the Academy of Sciences, Étienne Ghys, Permanent Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, François Jacq, General Administrator of CEA, Pedro Lages Dos Santos, President of the University of Le Havre Normandy, Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of CNRS.
** “On the shoulders of giants”from September 26 to 28, 2024, with an eclectic and increasingly experiential program around the theme of light.
