In France, AMAPs (associations for community-supported agriculture) are emblematic examples of the social solidarity economy. But they are not the only social solidarity economy (SSE) organizations. Other examples include cooperative banks, non-profit groups and mutual funds.

What is the social and solidarity economy?

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The social and solidarity economy (SSE) encompasses organizations that seek to respond to human problems through responsible solutions. Far from being an epiphenomenon, the SSE accounts for a significant share of the economy both in France and around the world. Contrary to popular belief, these principles are far from new. Mélissa Boudes, a researcher in management at Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, helps us understand the foundations of this economy.

 

What makes the social and solidarity economy unique?

Mélissa Boudes: The social and solidarity economy (SSE) is based on an organization structure that is both different and complementary to public economy and capitalist economy. This structure is dedicated to serving human needs. For example, organizations that are part of the SSE are either non-profit or low-profit limited companies. In this second case, profits are largely reinvested in projects rather than being paid to shareholders in the form of dividends. In general, SSE organizations have a democratic governance model, in which decisions are made collectively based on the “one person one vote” principle and involve those who benefit from their services.

What types of organizations are included in this economy?

MB: A wide range! Non-profit groups typically fall within this framework. Although sports and community non-profit groups do not necessarily claim to be part of the SSE, they fall within the framework based on their official statutes. Cooperatives, mutual funds and social businesses of varying sizes are also part of the SSE. One example is the cooperative group Up—formerly called Chèque déjeuner—which now has an international dimension. Other organizations include mutual health insurance groups, wine cooperatives, and cooperative banks.

How long has this economy existed?

MB: We often say that it has existed since the 19th century. The social and solidarity economy developed in response to the industrial revolution. At this time, workers entered a subordinate relationship that was difficult to accept. They wanted a way out. Alternative organizations were created with a primary focus on workers’ concerns. The first organizations of this kind were mutual aid companies that provided access to medical care and consumer cooperatives that helped provide access to good quality food. At the time, people often went into debt buying food. Citizens therefore created collective structures to help each other and facilitate access to good quality, affordable food.

So why have we only heard about the social and solidarity economy in recent years?

MB: It’s true that we seem to be witnessing the re-emergence of SSE, which was the subject of a law in 2014. SSE is now back in the forefront because the issues that led to its creation in the 19th century are reappearing—access to food that is free of pollution, access to medical care for “uberized” workers.  AMAPs (associations for community-supported agriculture) and cooperative platforms such as Label Emmaüs are examples of how the SSE can respond to these new expectations. Although new media coverage would suggest that these organization models are new, they actually rely on practices that have existed for centuries. However, the historical structures behind the SSE are less visible now because they have become institutionalized. For example, we sometimes receive invitations to participate in the general meeting for our banks or mutual funds. We don’t pay much attention to this, but it shows that even without knowing it, we are all part of the SSE.

Is the social and solidarity economy a small-scale phenomenon, or does it play a major role in the economy?

MB: The SSE exists everywhere in France, but also around the world. We must understand that SSE organizations aim to provide solutions to universal human problems: better access to education, mobility, healthcare… In France, the SSE represents 10% of employment.  This share rises to 14% if we exclude the public economy and only look at private employment. Many start-ups have been created based on the SSE model. This is therefore an important economic phenomenon.

Can any type of organization claim to be part of the social and solidarity economy?

MB: No, they must define an official status that is compatible with the SSE at the time the organization is founded, or request authorization if the company has a commercial status. They must request specific approval as a solidarity-based company of social benefit, which is attributed by the regional French employment authority (DIRECCTE).  Approval is granted if the company demonstrates that it respects certain principles, including providing a social benefit, a policy in its statutes limiting remuneration, an absence from financial markets, etc.

How does the social and solidarity economy relate to the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR)?

MB: In practice, CSR and SSE concepts sometimes overlap when commercial companies partner with SSE companies to develop their CSR. However, these two concepts are independent. The CSR concept does, however, reveal an economic movement that places increasing importance on organizations’ social aims. More and more commercial companies are opting for a hybrid structure: without becoming SSE companies, they impose limited salary scales to avoid extremely high wages. We are in the process of moving towards an environment in which the dichotomies are more blurred. We can no longer think in terms of virtuous SSE organizations on one side and the profit-driven capitalist economy on the other. The boundaries are not nearly as clear-cut as they used to be.

Read on I’MTech Social and solidarity economy in light of corporate reform

métiers du droit, legal professions

The legal professions coping with the challenge of digital technology

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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he first two issues of Enjeux numériques/Digital issues focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. These topics reappear in this new issue devoted to the impact of digital technology on the legal professions at a time when big data and advanced algorithms are two major factors in the pursuit of the digital transformation of our society and of jobs. This special issue seeks to better understand the social, economic and societal issues in this transformation of the legal professions, in particular the regulatory or ethical issues and the stakes of being economically competitive and attractive. Since the world is undergoing this transformation, we would like to present a panorama of European studies on this topic […]

Introduction by Françoise Trassoudaine and Jean-Pierre Dardayrol
Conseil Général de l’Économie

About Digital issues, the new series of Annales des Mines

Digital Issues is a quarterly series (March, June, September and December) freely downloadable on the Annales des Mines website, with a print version in French language. Focus of the series is on the issues of the digital transition for an enlightened, yet non necessarily expert, readership. Various viewpoints are being used between technology, economy and society as the Annales des Mines are used to doing in all their series.

Download for free all the articles of this issue

Esma Ismailova, Electronic textiles, textiles électroniques, matériaux avancés

Special issue: Electronic textiles

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[dropcap]E[/dropcap]lectronic textiles is a multidisciplinary field which is not limited to the characterization and development of novel materials and devices. The field also targets technologies related to the interconnection of electronic functionalities leading to smart networks and to the development of hybrid approaches integrating flexible devices with traditional solid‐state electronics.

Furthermore, unlike other emerging technologies, electronic textiles are, in part, based on one of humankind’s oldest technologies. Well‐established sectors, such as the textile and fashion industries, thus play a central role in material and process development, and not just in “end‐game” commercialization. This unique connection to industry makes electronic textiles an exciting and dynamic research field where academia and the private sector work hand in hand to advance all aspects of the technology.

[Extract from the Editorial]

 

This special issue on electronic textiles was edited by Esma Ismailova (researcher at the Centre Microélectronique de Provence of Mines Saint-Étienne), Tobias Cramer, and Daniel T. Simon, the organizers of the Symposium “Electronic textiles” (E‐MRS Spring 2017 meeting).
It was planned together with Wiley and the European Materials Research Society (E‐MRS).

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Esma Ismailova, textiles électroniques, matériaux avancésADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
Volume3, Issue 10
Special issue: Electronic textiles
Esma Ismailova, Tobias Cramer, Daniel T. Simon (ed.)
Wiley, October 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

European Researchers Night

When Researchers and Visitors Stay up all Night

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Projets européens H2020Every year, the European Researchers’ Night allows scientists and curious visitors to meet in over 200 European cities. The STORIES project, selected last May through the H2020 MSCA-NIGHT-2018 call for projects, will enable the CCSTI La Rotonde to join the national network and become the regional coordinator for this event, beginning in September 2019. As part of this project, Julie Fortin, in charge of promoting research at Mines Saint-Étienne, is working to create mediation models that encourage direct meetings between researchers and the general public. Meetings that benefit both visitors and researchers.

 

What is the European Researchers’ Night?

Julie Fortin: The European Researchers’ Night is organized every year on the last Friday of September, from 6pm to midnight in over 200 cities in Europe. As part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions under the H2020 program dedicated to promoting researchers’ careers, Mines Saint-Étienne and the associated CCSTI La Rotonde will become the event coordinators of the 2019 edition for the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, joining the ranks of the 13 other French CCSTI and universities participating in the event.

The goal of this event is to offer the general public an opportunity to meet the researchers directly, without any intermediaries. Each year a common theme is selected collectively: in 2018, for example, the theme is 1001 stories.  The mediation models are chosen in keeping with the annual theme. Each participating institution is free to customize the event in its own way, but all must offer a friendly atmosphere that fosters connections between researchers and the general public. The idea is to promote more intimate models. Conferences, for example, are avoided, because they offer more of a monologue than a discussion!

What mediation models do you implement to foster interaction between the researchers and the general public?

JF: We are developing new mediation models for the European Researchers’ Night and we are also using a lot of ideas from Ramène ta science, a similar annual event held at La Rotonde, that allows small groups of visitors to meet with researchers.

For example, we have a model called “The Scientist’s Suitcase” in which the scientists bring different objects in their suitcase to help them tell visitors about their field of research. For example, I am a geologist, so I can bring my field tools, like a hammer or a sample from my laboratory. The researchers can also bring anecdotal objects that reveal their daily life as a researcher or more personal things that show what inspired their passion for science or to talk about other hobbies.

We also have another model called “Draw your Science”, in which scientists use drawings to highlight key words to help them talk about their daily experience and field of research… Here again, the scientists choose what they want to share. Other models, like “The Scientist’s Cart” allow visitors to witness the scientist carrying out a lab experiment or “Experimenting with Science” in which the visitors themselves take on the researcher’s role by collecting and processing data… We also organize the “Science Xpress” activity, a type of speed-dating between researchers and groups of visitors!

A Mines Saint-Etienne student presents an experiment at the “Ramène ta science” event. Photo Credit: Pierre Grasset for La Rotonde.

 

Are these mediation models meant to contradict the impersonal image that the general public sometimes has of science and scientists?

JF: Yes, these mediation models that promote discussions and proximity with the public allow us to introduce a human aspect and debunk the myth that represents scientists as shut up in their labs! We also want to show that scientists are not the only ones working in the field of science, there are also technicians, research engineers, etc. They are all represented within Mines Saint-Étienne. For the European Researchers’ Night, we are also working together with universities, engineering schools, an art and design school, an architecture school, the Cité du Design, and a start-up incubator… Some design researchers, for example, show how a product is developed or experimental approaches. Students also contribute, presenting projects they completed during their training, and startups are also involved in the event. The goal is to show the approach they take, from the idea through to the final product, as well as the connections between the world of research and companies.

For the European Researchers’ Night, we also hope to add a European space. We are already hosting many foreign researchers at Mines Saint-Étienne and we want to show our visitors that scientific research also involves international collaboration!

How do the researchers see these meetings with the public?

JF: We started the “Ramène ta science” project with a core group of researchers who were already involved in scientific popularization projects. These researchers were thrilled and encouraged their colleagues to participate! Other researchers have gotten involved after enjoying the experience as visitors. Our PhD students are also invited to participate in the context of training on communication and scientific popularization.

All the participating researchers come with the intention of sharing their work and the visitors can sense that and make it worth their effort! The visitors are curious and are thrilled to communicate with scientists. The participants also know that we are here to help them prepare before the event, we do not just leave them to fend for themselves. We help them prepare through individual meetings and help them develop potential mediation ideas and adapt them to their type of popularization and their audience.

However, the simplification process is still difficult for some researchers. Some researchers tell us that they prefer a high school or middle school audience and we adapt to meet these requests. We respect each individual’s personality and desires.

What do the researchers take away from this experience?

JF: The researchers tell us that this experience offers them interactive techniques they can use with their students. But above all, in preparing for these popularization activities, they realize that they cannot say everything they want to. Often, they have become so specialized in their field that even other scientists cannot necessarily understand… They must learn to target their message! The researchers tell us that explaining their field of research in the simplest and fastest way possible forces them to check their own understanding of certain concepts in their field. In addition, sometimes simple questions from the audience help them see some of their problems in a different light! Not that his leads to new fields of research, but it can at least open some new perspectives…

Also read on I’MTech

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At La Rotonde, the scientific mediation is based on experiments

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Advancing scientific, technical and industrial literacy, a challenge for society – An interview with Guillaume Desbrosse

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AI, an issue of economy and civilization?

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This is the first issue of the new quarterly of the series Annales des Mines devoted to the digital transition. The progress made using algorithms, the new computational capacities of devices (ranging from graphic cards to the cloud), and the availability of huge quantities of data combine to explain the advances under way in Artificial Intelligence. But AI is not just a matter of algorithms operating in the background on digital platforms. It increasingly enters into a chain of interactions with the physical world. The examples reported herein come from finance, insurance, employment, commerce and manufacturing. This issue turns to the stakeholders, in particular French, who are implementing AI or who have devoted thought to this implementation and to AI’s place in our society.

Introduction by Jacques Serris, Engineer from the Corps des Mines, Conseil Général de l’Économie (CGE)

About Digital issues, the new series of Annales des Mines

Digital Issues is a quarterly series (March, June, September and December) freely downloadable on the Annales des Mines website, with a print version in French language. Focus of the series is on the issues of the digital transition for an enlightened, yet non necessarily expert, readership. Various viewpoints are being used between technology, economy and society as the Annales des Mines are used to doing in all their series.

Download all the articles of the issue

When Science Fiction Helps Popularize Science – An Interview with Roland Lehoucq

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What is energy? What is power? Roland Lehoucq, an astrophysicist at CEA and professor at École Polytechnique and Sciences Po, uses Science Fiction to help explain scientific principles to the general public. Star Wars, Interstellar, The Martian… These well-known, popular movies can become springboards for making science accessible to everyone. During his conference on “Energy, Science and Fiction” on December 7th at IMT Mines Albi, Roland Lehoucq explained his approach to popularizing science.

 

What approach are you taking for this conference on “Energy, Science and Fiction”? How do you use science fiction to study science?

The goal of this conference is to use science fiction as a springboard for talking to the general public about science. I chose the cross-cutting theme of energy and used several science fiction books and movies to talk about the topic. This drives us to ask questions about the world we live in: what prevents us from doing the things we see in science fiction? This question serves as a starting point for looking at scientific facts: explaining what energy and power are, providing some of the properties and orders of magnitude, etc. In general, the fictional situations involve levels of energy and power that are so significant that, for now, they are beyond our reach.  Humanity does have a great deal of energy within its grasp, which is why it has been able to radically transform planet Earth. But will this abundance of energy last? Will we someday reach the levels we see in science fiction? I’m not so sure!

My approach is actually the same as that of science fiction. It dramatizes scientific and technical progress and is designed to make us think about the consequences of these developments. This can apply to energy, genetics, artificial intelligence, robots, etc. It involves questioning reality, but it has no qualms about distorting the facts make a more appealing story. Works of fiction pay no attention to significant scientific facts, choosing to happily ignore certain physical laws, yet this is not truly a problem. It does not affect the works’ narrative quality, nor does it change the questions they raise!

Does this type of approach allow you to reach a wider audience? Do you see this at your speaking events?

I don’t know if I am reaching a wider audience, but I do see that those in the audience, both young and old, are delighted to talk about these subjects. I use some of the best-known films, although they are not necessarily the most interesting ones from a scientific point of view. While Star Wars does not feature a lot of high-level thinking, it is nevertheless full of content, including energy, which can be analyzed scientifically. For example, we can estimate the Jedis’ power in terms of watts and rank them. My approach is then to say: let’s imagine this really exists, let’s look at the information we can draw from the film and, in return, what we can learn about our world. Young people respond positively since I use things that are part of their culture. But it works well with other generations too!

What led you to share scientific culture using science fiction as the starting point?

I have loved science since I was 6 years old. I started reading science fiction when I was 13. Then I taught about science as a group leader at astronomy camps from the age of 17 to 23. I have always enjoyed learning things and then talking about the aspects I find to be the most interesting, amazing and wonderful! It comes naturally to me!

Then, in the early 2000s, I decided I wanted to share my knowledge on a larger scale, through books and articles. I quickly got idea of using fictional literature, comic strips and the cinema as a way of sharing knowledge. Especially since no one was doing it then! If you want to talk about astrophysics, for example, you have people like Hubert Reeves, Michel Cassé, Marc Lachièze-Rey and Jean-Pierre Luminet who are making this knowledge accessible. I did not want to repeat what they were already doing so well. I wanted to break away and do something different adapted to my tastes!

What advice would you give to researchers on improving how they share scientific culture?

Sharing scientific knowledge with others is not intuitive for researchers because it essentially involves making difficult choices of only saying what is most useful for the general public in a limited amount of time. Often researchers focus their life work, intelligence and efforts on a very limited topic.  Of course, researchers will want to talk about this area of expertise. But to understand the reasons that led the researcher to work in this area, the audience first needs certain prerequisites. And if these prerequisites are not provided, or are incomplete, the audience cannot understand the interest of the subject and the issues being discussed. It is therefore necessary to take the time to explain what researchers see as general information. Therefore, for one hour of a conference, forty-five minutes must be spent presenting the prerequisites and fifteen minutes spent explaining the field of research. This requires making a choice to serve the field, to take a back seat and avoid the “specialist syndrome”, which involves talking only about what the specialist sees as important, their 10 or 15 years of research. This is a legitimate approach, but by doing this researchers risk losing their audience!

They must also try to make science “friendly”. Science is often seen as something complicated, which requires great effort to be understood. As is often the case, a lot of work is needed to understand the subtleties of these subjects. Our job therefore consists of facilitating access to these areas, and the methods chosen will depend on each individual’s interests. Finally, we must show the general public that science is not an accumulation of knowledge, but an intellectual process, a methodology. We can therefore study science as an educational exercise, using things that are not purely scientific, such as science fiction!

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Roland LehoucqRoland Lehoucq

Associate Professor of Physics and former student of ENS, Roland Lehoucq is an astrophysicist at the CEA center at Paris-Saclay, and teaches at the Ecole Polytechnique and at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. He has written numerous books for the popularization of science using the science fiction as the starting point, such as La SF sous les feux de la science and Faire de la Science avec Star Wars. He recently wrote a book on the dark ideas of physics, Les idées noires de la physique, published by Les belles lettres, in collaboration with Vincent Bontems, a philosopher of science, and illustrated by Scott Pennors. Black holes, dark matter, dark energy… This book looks at all these subjects through the eyes of an astrophysicist and a philosopher.

 

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Literacy, La Rotonde culture scientifique Guillaume Desbrosse

Advancing scientific, technical and industrial literacy, a challenge for society – An interview with Guillaume Desbrosse

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What is the role of a center for scientific literacy and what sort of work does its director do? What are the goals of the AMCSTI (Association of Museums and Centers for the Advancement of Scientific, Technical and Industrial Culture)? Guillaume Desbrosse, the Director of CCSTI La Rotonde Mines Saint-Étienne, who has recently been appointed president of the AMCSTI, explains the challenges and goals of organizations dedicated to scientific, technical and industrial literacy.

 

What are the goals of a center for scientific culture such as La Rotonde, and as the director of the center, what does your work involve?

La Rotonde’s goal is to share scientific, technical and industrial knowledge with the widest possible audience through different media, in order to respond to a challenge facing society: creating conditions for bringing people into contact with science. La Rotonde is a venue for an annual program of cultural events for the general public including exhibitions, theater, debates, workshops and conferences. At the same time, we develop activities “outside our walls” which allow us to reach out to populations who may not consider visiting a center for scientific culture: events, science education projects for schools, projects carried out with the city of St-Étienne cultural partners and many more. We are also a center for producing scientific literacy resources: exhibitions, children’s books, comic books, films etc. We use all forms of media to talk about science!

At La Rotonde I lead a team of nine people and we all work together to create and carry out projects. I’m in charge of coordinating the team’s work, responding to calls for projects, creating partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and developing strategies to expand the reach of La Rotonde and Mines St-Étienne. We’ve developed many different projects including Mondo Minot, an exhibition intended for very young visitors which gives children aged 2-7 the opportunity to discover science. It has been brought to life three times with a different version each time and has been presented in a number of venues in France. It is currently on display at Quai des Savoirs in Toulouse. We have also developed the Escapad project, an immersive children’s book which is associated with a tablet through an innovative, patented device. Esca’Pad takes 6-9-year-olds on a journey to explore the island of Madagascar, where we have partnerships with several research libraries and cultural sites. The project is produced through collaboration between La Rotonde, Avant-Goût Studio, and Universcience, which groups together La Cité des Sciences and Le Palais de la Découverte.

Read more on I’MTech At La Rotonde, the scientific mediation is based on experiments

How does the AMCSTI work?

It is an association which groups together 194 professional organization members, including very large organizations such as the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie or the Museum of Natural History as well as smaller associations throughout France.

Its purpose is to bring together different players around projects and themes so that professionals can meet one another, engage in dialogue and increase their expertise. It also works on strategic positioning on a national level and interactions with different ministries: it is necessary to establish contacts with the world of culture, education, tourism, innovation, industry etc. Scientific literacy leads to a cross-disciplinary approach. The AMCSTI fosters dialogue between the professionals who work in the field and carry out projects and the political representatives or local authorities who support these scientific literacy projects.

 

Can you tell us about your current or upcoming projects at AMSCTI?

Soon we will be launching new projects and establishing a strategic plan for the next three years. We’re working on developing themes: last year’s proposed area of focus was “Culture, beliefs and sciences.” The goal is to help citizens learn to think critically in order to face rising obscurantism and to steer the debate in the right direction by showing the differences between beliefs and knowledge. We are thinking about subjects involving innovation, to show how our association can be a source of collaboration in this field. We are closely linked with the world of business, industry and startups. In the coming months, we will also launch themes dedicated to healthcare. A working group is now studying vaccines, which is a controversial subject. Our fellow citizens’ growing resistance to science can be explained by a lack of dialogue or popularization programs and the pervasiveness of fake news and a certain vagueness in discourse. Our job is therefore to bring together the different players involved in the association to work on specific actions and themes. We strive to provide innovative, creative, high-level popularization programs for the general public in order to help people become more curious, learn to think critically and form their own opinions about the world of today and tomorrow.

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AMCSTI is the national network of scientific, technical and industrial culture professionals (CSTI). Museums, research organizations, zoos, universities, foundations etc. A wide range of players is represented within the association. AMCSTI supports its members and brings them together to foster the advancement and recognition of scientific, technical and industrial culture.

Find out more about AMCSTI

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stephan clémençon, conseiller scientifique, exposition, scientific exhibition advisor

What exactly is a scientific exhibition advisor? A discussion with Stephan Clémençon

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Who are the people working behind the scenes at scientific exhibitions? The tasks at hand range from approving content and proposing themes to identifying scientific and societal issues, and much more. To find out more, we interviewed Stephan Clémençon, a researcher specializing in machine learning at Télécom ParisTech and a scientific advisor for the Terra Data exhibition led by Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, focusing on digital data.

 

What is the role of a scientific exhibition council?

Stephan Clémençon: Organization for the exhibition began about a year and a half before the event. Our council was complementary in terms of skills, since it was made up of mainly technical specialists in IT data, etc., as well as others who focused on usage and legal issues. Our aim was to identify the topics to be addressed during the exhibition by illustrating with examples. Above all, we wanted to make the link between data and applications. Secondly, the exhibition organizers presented the different workshops to us and what they did was extraordinary.

 

What messages were you wanting to pass on?

SC: We wanted to show that data are not just a way of representing information. For example, we addressed the notion of storage. Often, people don’t realize the network aspect, the fact that there are kilometers of fiber optic cables at the bottom of the oceans. It’s important to show people pictures of that. In practice, people switch on their computer, search for information, etc., but they actually have no idea about the physical and concrete aspect behind this, such as what a data center looks like. The important thing was to demystify data.

 

Which part of the exhibition did you work on the most?

SC: I mentioned to the organizers that biometrics could have an impact on the public. The idea was to follow the digital trace of visitors, who had their photo taken at the exhibition entrance. I also worked on the Algorithmic aspect with Françoise Soulié-Fogelman [a professor in computing at Tianjin University, China]. We illustrated how recommendation engines work and what their principles are. The objective was to demystify the algorithmic aspect. An algorithm is simply a sequence of tasks leading to a result. We explained that it was nothing new and that they are already in use in daily life.

 

What motivated you to participate in this project?

SC: I think that addressing the subject of data is important. People are scared to talk about artificial intelligence, automatic processing by machines, etc. and rightly so, because we are becoming dependent on these technologies. But this is not something specific to machine learning, it applies to technology as a whole. It is therefore very important to explain how these technologies work. Working with Cité des Sciences also allowed us to reach young people who use technology but don’t necessarily ask themselves how it works. I also took part just out of curiosity. I had no idea about how these exhibitions were put together and it allowed me to discover this new world.

 

What can you draw from the exhibition and all that it entailed?

SC: I feel that it was a small but well thought-out exhibition. It was educational on the topic of data and what they are used for. There was a good balance between mathematical aspects and usage. It would be interesting to generalize this kind of exhibition because there is a real need to provide society with information about digital technology. In terms of artificial intelligence which has lately become fashionable and developing robotization, many of these issues are suffering because of received ideas. They deserve to be presented to the general public in the form of an exhibition. We are currently sitting on the threshold of some really significant transformations and it would be good if people started to think about these rather than just letting them happen.

 

Terra Data: the exhibition demystifying data

 

Terra Data, Cité des sciences et de l'industrie

Terra Data: the exhibition demystifying data

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Until 7th January 2018, la Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is hosting the Terra Data exhibition. It offers the opportunity to demystify all things ‘data’, from generation to use. The exhibition is divided into four parts, and progressively develops what data is and where it is leading us. Stephan Clémençon, a researcher at Télécom ParisTech, participated in putting the exhibition together, in his role as a scientific advisor.

 

Just like Alice, we fell down the rabbit hole and discovered a strange new world: data. One rainy Friday, the team at I’MTech passed through the doors of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris and stumbled across the temporary Terra Data exhibition. After having our faces scanned at the entrance, we were plunged into a whole new world. What was it? The inside of our computer, the cloud or the Internet? Surrounded by four walls covered in mirrors, our new environment had an infinite feel to it. At its heart, there were some thirty backlit tables, each color representing a theme such as pixels, and each containing a piece of information. At table number 1, Serge Abiteboul, director of research at Inria and scientific curator of the exhibition, kicked things off with a video message.

Terra Data, cité des sciences et de l'industrie

 

Understanding the issues through games

The visit was full of explanations and hands-on activities. Designed to be educational, the exhibition progressively introduces the visitor to the world of data. But what do they mean? A photograph, the film you watched last night, your shopping list… data are everywhere in our daily lives. Regardless of what form they take, they represent information. From the days of Sumerian tablets to the big data of today, data have grown exponentially. Visitors can also observe the incredible amount of data produced per second on social media. But how can we process all this data?

This is where algorithms come in to it. There’s nothing complicated about them, we use them every day without even noticing. Visitors can then try out an algorithm for themselves, by tying a tie. Are you more of a simple knot or a half-Windsor kind of person? In either case, the aim is to show that an algorithm is nothing more than a series of simple tasks. Other uses are then presented, in particular in the context of computing. Algorithms allow search engines to index data. As Françoise Soulié-Fogelman from Tianjin University in China explained, they create deep learning techniques, allowing artificial intelligence to learn to play chess, for example. They are also behind facial recognition technology.

 

Françoise Soulié-Fogelman

Françoise Soulié-Fogelman, a researcher at Tianjin University

Uses and developments of data

“We’re entering a world where we no longer know exactly what a piece of data means” begins the Political Science sociologist, Dominique Cardon, in a video introducing the theme: “What does all this data actually change?” “Data is just a simple trace which we don’t really know the meaning of”, she adds. This isn’t necessarily good or bad. It all depends on the resulting usage. From studying climate to neuroscience, data affect all areas of scientific research. They are responsible for the evolution of various occupations such as data journalism, as well as leading to the creation of new professions such as  data scientists. These jobs are based around extracting the relevant parameters from these masses of information. In this way, a 3D video represents the reconstruction of an area in Venice between 950 and 1986. This visualization was made possible following the digitalization of archives.

Following on from these vestiges of the past, the modern man leaves digital traces through cookies or Wi-Fi, that is, their personal data. Information lost in the web can be collected through our connections and recorded without us even knowing. CNIL advises visitors about how to better protect their digital information.

Going beyond direct usage, data are changing the way society functions. Another video presents the concept of algorithmic intermediation, which is how web giants (i.e. Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) eliminate intermediaries between the client and the supplier through digital platforms. On the one hand, this horizontal communication puts all individuals on the same level. On the other, it encourages the constant assessment of others.

Data collected in this way for a website can then be sold on to other platforms. This contributes to the creation of a digital identity which sticks with us and leads us to wonder about the protection of this information. So, where is data leading us? Most likely towards a system without borders which still remains to be defined.

 

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The Terra Data exhibition enjoyed a wide range of expertise from sociologists and even experts in machine learning. The scientific advisors benefitted from the knowledge of the researchers and other key figures such as Serge Abiteboul from Inria and Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin from CNIL. To find out more about the role of a scientific exhibition advisor, Stephan Clémençon from Télécom ParisTech gives us details here.

Practical information
Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou – 75019 Paris
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm, Sundays from 10am to 7pm.
Closed Mondays.
From age 11 – In French, English and Italian – Length of visit: 1 h 30 mins.[/box]

To go further, we recommend you:

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What is Big Data?

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What is machine learning?

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Environmental data: data science takes on the challenge

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Personal data: How the GDPR is changing the game in Europe

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Müge Özman, Strategic Management Innovation Networks, Télécom École de Management

Strategic Management of Innovation Networks

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Suitable for a one- or two-semester course for undergraduate and graduate students, this interdisciplinary textbook explains the diverse aspects of innovation and social networks, which occupy a central place in business and policy agendas. Its unified approach presents networks as nested systems that can span organisations, industries, regions, and markets, giving students a holistic perspective and reducing the amount of effort required to learn the theoretical framework for each layer. With engaging real-world examples, the text also provides a practical guide on how to manage networks to increase innovation and improve performance. Topics covered include forming teams to foster creativity, selecting partners and leveraging partnerships for learning, managing organisational change, and sponsoring technologies in communities. Students will learn the metrics used in social network analysis and how they are interpreted and applied. Suggested reading lists and online resources offer opportunities for further review and practice.

 

Muge Ozman, Télécom École de Management, Strategic Management Innovation NetworksAuthor

Müge Özman is ‎Professor of Management at Télécom École de Management-IMT, Paris. She has participated in major projects funded by the European Union, and worked with a variety of both small and large companies on innovation-related projects.

 

Müge Özman, Strategic Management Innovation Networks, Télécom École de ManagementStrategic Management of Innovation Networks
Müge Özman
Cambridge University Press, 2017
360 pages
29.99 £ (paperback)
30.00 USD (eBook)

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