2011 PRESS Kit LE CHEVEU, DE MECHE AVEC LA SCIENCE
THE SCIENCE AND CULTURE OF HAIR Exhibition at the Palais de la découverte October 14th 2011 to August 26th 2012 Palais de la Découverte – Universcience Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 75008 Paris www.palais‐decouverte.fr Press contacts
Palais de la découverte – Universcience Christelle Linck Tel. +33 1 40 74 81 04 christelle.linck@universcience.fr L’Oréal – Corporate Media Relations Aurélie Gasnier Tel.+33 1 47 56 83 06 agasnier@dgc.loreal.com Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐1/21‐ CONTENTS ƒ
PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE EXHIBITION 4 10 11 13 Hair under the microscope The science of hair products Hair and society Hairstyles in history RELATED FEATURES 14 Scientific seminars 15 Hair‐science.com Book: Les Vies du Cheveu by Marie‐Christine Auzou and Sabine Melchior‐Bonnet Editions Découvertes Gallimard ƒ
HAIR : FACTS AND FIGURES ƒ
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH L’ORÉAL ƒ
THE PALAIS DE LA DÉCOUVERTE – UNIVERSCIENCE Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐2/21‐ ƒ PRESS RELEASE LE CHEVEU, DE MECHE AVEC LA SCIENCE THE SCIENCE AND CULTURE OF HAIR EXHIBITION AT THE PALAIS DE LA DECOUVERTE October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012 © Palais de la découverte S. Chivet
You've had it since you were born. It changes shape in the hands of hairdressers and it can transform your entire appearance and mood. Hair has huge personal, social and cultural significance, variously associated with femininity, seduction and strength. It’s a biological, scientific and aesthetic phenomenon. While modern science has taught us a great deal about its paradoxes, growth and structure, many of its mysteries have yet to be unveiled. You'll never take your hair for granted again! The Palais de la découverte and the L'Oréal Corporate Foundation both exist to promote public awareness of science. Together, they have created this unique exhibition exploring the complex scientific, cultural and symbolic meanings of hair. Hair: dead tissue and living organism This interactive event, aimed at the general public and particularly suited to young people, is designed to be both educational and fun. We produce kilometres of hair every year – but how does this extraordinary process happen? Why does it go grey and fall out? Why do different people have differently coloured hair, and is it true that red and blonde hair will eventually die out? The exhibition explores the many amazing facets of an integral, yet often overlooked part of our lives. Hair's role in society The exhibition takes an in‐depth look at the social role of hair in different cultures and historical eras, showing how we use it as a creative expression of our identity and appearance, debunks some popular misconceptions about hair, and looks at its role in legends, songs and proverbs. Palais de la découverte – Universcience Le cheveu de mèche avec la science The science and culture of hair Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 75008 Paris www.palais‐decouverte.fr Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Knowtex and Dailymotion Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 7pm Entrance: €7, reductions €4.50 Planetarium: €3.50 additional charge This entertaining, hands‐on and dynamic exhibition, organised in partnership with L'Oréal, draws on the latest advances in hair research. Covering an area of 500 sq.m., it is presented in English, French and Spanish, and in Braille. Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐3/21‐ ABOUT THE EXHIBITION HAIR UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The sheer biological complexity of your hair is difficult to comprehend. This exhibition brings the subject vividly to life, in a journey of discovery that lets you test the strength of your hair and see it magnified a thousand times under a microscope. The exhibition begins with an extraordinary short video that takes an in‐depth look at hair. Up close and personal ©CSI/M Lamoureux This unique 3‐minute video uses powerful optical and scanning electron microscopes to magnify hairs up to one million times, exploring a fascinating world that's invisible to the naked eye, from its material make‐up to its molecular structure. In a virtual journey using real images projected onto the floor, we discover the unimaginable beauty of the infinitely small. Stranger than fiction Astonishing photographs of split ends, hair with no cuticle, knotted and even bubble hair (a genetic abnormality) – all reminders of the complex fascination of this part of the body. © L’Oreal R&I Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐4/21‐ How strong is your hair? We take a close‐up look at the biology of keratin, the exceptionally tough substance of which hair is made. Three displays test the strength and resistance of hair by showing it being used to lift a 3kg weight suspended from a lock of 200 hairs, a 100g weight suspended from five hairs, and a 30kg weight hanging from 2,000 hairs. Thanks to its composite structure, hair can be as resistant as a steel cable, with its cortex of elongated, highly organised cells surrounded by a protecting sheath of cuticle. See your hair magnified one thousand times! Take a seat in this odd‐looking chair, lean back against the headrest, and see your hair magnified one thousand times by a video microscope. This gives a fascinating insight into the condition of your hair, and how different hairs on your head have different colours and diameters. You may even see traces of the hair product you applied that morning! © Palais de la découverte ‐ C. Rousselin The roots of your hair The active part of each hair is situated in the root, in the follicle known as the bulb, where the growth of the pigmented hair takes place. The average person's head has up to 150,000 hairs. The cells multiply beneath the skin, elongating and gradually fusing with one another to form the shaft, the visible part of the hair. © Palais de la découverte – S. Chivet Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐5/21‐ A single hair magnified 10,000 times! This 1‐metre‐diameter model shows what a hair would look and feel like if blown up to the size of a tree trunk. It depicts the hair's complex structure, with scales of keratin overlapping like roof tiles. This surrounds a cortex of interlaced fibres, also of keratin, which in turn encloses the medulla. © Palais de la découverte S. Chivet Hair's exceptional properties The complex physical and chemical structure of hair makes it very resilient. If you hit it with a hammer, it springs back into shape. It's elastic, capable of stretching by up to 50 percent, and it absorbs water, becoming longer or shorter depending on the humidity. And if you shape it, it stays that way – at least for a while. Fur or hair? The exhibition also features scanning electron micrographs and fur samples comparing the internal and external structures of human hair with those of the mink, astrakhan, and coypu. Human hair feels very similar to that of many animals' fur. The main differences, apart from their length, are biological: mink has dense cuticles, while those of the semi aquatic coypu are less tightly packed.
How fast does hair grow? Another display shows how different hairs grow at different speeds to their neighbours. It doesn't matter whether your hair is straight, wavy or curly, some will be growing actively, others taking a rest, and others falling out. Some hairs are thick, and others are thin. Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐6/21‐ Going bald Its scientific name is androgenetic alopecia, but hair loss is not a disease. It's actually a secondary sexual characteristic, caused by genetic and hormonal factors; in the final stages, a rim of hair is left around the back and sides of the head. How old is your hair? Hair grows by about 1 to 1.5 centimetres a month, and has a lifespan of about three years. Alongside a picture of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, who spent three hours a day tending her extremely long hair, you'll find four electron micrographs of hair at different lengths. When it first appears, it's in perfect condition – but it gradually loses its cuticle and becomes worn out. Eventually, the cuticle disappears and split ends start to form. ©Palais de la decouverte ‐ S. Chivet Digital sculptures A series of hands‐on models of straight, curly and frizzy hair, magnified 400 times, shows how hair structure varies between individuals and ethnic groups. For example frizzy hair is spiral in shape, with closely packed undulations. Growing and regrowing If you pass your hand through your hair, it's normal for a few to fall out. If you have around 120,000 on your head, you lose between 50 and 100 a day – that's up to 30,000 a year! The exhibition also includes a praxinoscope, a series of rotating mirrors, showing the different stages of a hair's lifecycle: growth, rest, falling out.
©Palais de la découverte ‐ C. Rousselin Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐7/21‐ What does your hair say about you? Detailed analysis of your hair can provide a great deal of information about you, including such things as your lifestyle and any accidents you may have had. ©Palais de la decouverte S. Chivet Your hair contains your genetic fingerprint, details of what you've eaten, and even whether you've ingested poisons. Sometimes a single hair has been the key to solving a crime. Hair can also last an extremely long time. In the 1980s a group of scientific laboratories, including L’Oreal’s, discovered that the pharaoh Ramses II, who lived over 3,000 years ago, had reddish blond hair. Why does hair have different shapes? The exhibition includes pictures of straight, curly and frizzy hair magnified 400 times by a microscope. They show that the sectional shape of each hair determines the way it grows. Straight hair is round in section, whereas wavy hair is oval. © Palais de la découverte ‐ S. Chivet Grey hair Microscopic images also compare different types of follicles, the bulbs 4 millimetres below the surface of your skin from where the hair grows. They depict white, grey and pigmented hair, showing that the grains of melanin (responsible for pigmentation) and melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin) have disappeared in white hair. The hair profiler Hair in 3D
Two multimedia screens allow visitors to slip into the shoes of a detective who, by analysing locks of hair, searching for clues and analysing data, solves a mystery. A third screen in the exhibition room serves as a scientific encyclopaedia, satisfying your curiosity about every aspect of hair. Displays developed by L’Oreal Research. Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐8/21‐ Which is the real thing? Another display compares two locks of hair, one real and one fake, and invites you to work out purely by touch which is which. The accompanying information about the structure of hair may make this task easier. Eight degrees of curl How curly is your hair? It's difficult to categorise different types with any precision and every hair is unique. The exhibition reveals how L’Oreal’s researchers have developed a scale, from 1 to 8, applying to all hair from smooth and straight to curly and frizzy. A "curlometer" also lets you decide where on the spectrum your hair lies. ©S. Chivet Palais de la découverte A giant globe displays more than a hundred locks of hair of varying curliness. As you might expect, there are more people with straight hair in Asia, and more with frizzy hair in Africa – but there are also some surprising exceptions. Hair under the microscope! A series of six interactive games, using nuclear, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and a binocular magnifier, tests your ability to interpret scientific images. Can you distinguish between white and discoloured hair, healthy and repaired, straight and curly? Or decide which is the curly hair when magnified 50,000 times? There are also displays on how these observation techniques work. Hygrometers Some hygrometers – the instruments used by meteorologists and heating and air conditioning specialists to measure relative humidity – use hairs, because these grow longer in humid conditions. Why your hair is the shape it is The bulbs beneath your scalp determine whether your hair is straight or curly. Curvature is the result of a physical process that goes on inside your body. Did you know? The interactive graphics panel at the end of the exhibition answers some of the most common questions about hair: why do blond hairs fade with age? Does the shape of your individual hairs change during your life? Why does hair sometimes get greasy? And if you lose it as a result of chemotherapy, will it grow back? © C. Rousselin ‐ Palais de la découverte Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐9/21‐ THE SCIENCE OF HAIR PRODUCTS People have taken elaborate care of their hair since time immemorial. Healthy, beautiful hair is more important to us today than ever before. This section of the exhibition is about the scientists who develop new products to protect and transform hair. Amazing machines Before they arrive in the shops, hair products have undergone extensive testing both by humans and machines – and here you'll see a selection of the latter. They include hair metrology equipment, shampooing machines, an extensometer, which measures the strength of hair, sunlight simulators, and a flexibility pendulum, which measures hair's flexibility before and after products are applied. Every colour under the sun A giant colour chart made from hair of various colours on a magnifying light table shows ten tonal values and six degrees of highlights which define hair colour. The colour comes from melanin, but is also influenced by the way the hair reflects light and by its exposure to the sun. © S. Chivet ‐ Palais de la découverte Perms and blow‐drys What happens scientifically when you have a perm or blow‐dry? Another film compares the chemical changes that take place during these procedures. For example, when the stylist applies traction to wet hair in a blow‐dry, this modifies its salt and hydrogen bonds, causing the keratin chains to slide and stretch temporarily. © S. Chivet Palais de la découverte ‐ Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐10/21‐ HAIR AND SOCIETY Hair is a language in itself, a source of constant inspiration capable of making powerful statements about culture, religion, and changing fashions. Instant makeovers Your hairstyle can have a dramatic effect on the way you look – changing it can be like adopting a new personality. One display lets you take a photograph of yourself and then apply one of 40 different styles: 1920s bob, 1960s quiff, traditional Namibian, and stylish 21st‐century bun. Decide which you like best, add it to your photo, print it out, and take it home. The art of the coiffeur Charlie Le Mindu is best known for his extraordinary styles for Lady Gaga and top fashion models. The exhibition features six of his spectacular creations, using real hair and made exclusively for L'Oréal in cooperation with Hairdreams/The Art of Hair Extension. ©Alain Buu for the L’Oreal Corporate Foundation Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐11/21‐ Charlie Le Mindu Born in Bergerac, France, Charlie Le Mindu acquired a passion for hairstyling at a very early age. At just 17 he moved to Berlin, held a “pop‐up” salon and became hairdresser in residence at clubs including White Trash, Rio Club and Barbie Deinhoff's. At 21, Le Mindu moved to London's East End, proclaiming: "The hair is much more interesting here." His regular clients include Carrie Mundane, the B52s, Adamski, Peaches, Jodie Harsh, and Florence and the Machine. In February 2009, Le Mindu launched his first wig collection during London Fashion Week. Copyright ManuValcarce
Charlie Le Mindu's creations are rarely out of the headlines, worn by such luminaries as Kap Bambino, Ayumi Hamasaki, Mylène Farmer, and M.I.A. His groundbreaking high‐fashion designs have been exhibited at the V&A in London, Art Athina in Greece, the Cartier Foundation in Paris, and the Villa Empain in Brussels. Le Mindu also presents his own programme, Charlie's Treatment, on the web TV station Konbini. ©Alain Buu for the L’Oreal Foundation Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐12/21‐ HAIRSTYLES IN HISTORY Whether it reflects your personal taste or current trends, hair says a great deal about our influences and the society we live in. Hair has been celebrated in countless songs, poems and images, both sophisticated and popular. The last part of the exhibition traces how it has been used as a form of expression over the centuries and around the world, and how its diversity reflects that of human culture itself. A diversity of tastes A ten‐minute film in a dedicated area of the exhibition tells how different cultures and periods of history have adopted different hairstyles. Hair has variously been used to indicate social status and tribal and religious allegiances. It is often the subject of prejudice, with different colours and lengths expressing specific social values. Hair can be a symbol of freedom, rebellion, strength or political legitimacy: every civilisation sees it through different eyes. The film is subtitled for the hard of hearing. The language of hair Hair plays an important part in our everyday vocabulary. This visual game explores some of the many words and expressions associated with it. ©CSI/M Lamoureux Advertising A fascinating montage of French and foreign commercials from the early days of television proclaiming the merits of hair colours, hair sprays and shampoos. In 1950s France, Dop shampoo became the first product to educate the public about the importance of hygiene, launching its own "clean children's crusade." Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐13/21‐ RELATED FEATURES SCIENTIFIC SEMINARS The exhibition will also include seminars in french by scientists from the Palais de la Découverte, intended for anyone wishing to explore the subject in more depth. These will cover the chemistry, biology and physics of hair. ‐
A presentation by chemists on ways of shaping the internal and external structure of the hair. Curling, straightening and permanent waves are essentially chemical modifications affecting the atoms of the hair. The presentation also focuses on a new molecule which may have the ability to change the texture of hair. ‐
A second chemistry seminar on the secrets of hair colouring, including a lead oxide process originally developed by the ancient Greek physician Galen and now the subject of research and applications such as nanocrystals. A seminar on the biology of hair, entitled "Le cheveu, un poil plus long". This explores deep inside the human hair, which is a great deal more complex than it might appear. While the structure of the visible part is fairly simple, the root is like a factory, producing the molecules which determine the type and colour of your hair, and whether it regrows or falls out. ‐
A physics seminar, including a series of practical experiments to examine the physical properties of hair, and how lasers can be used to measure its thickness. The seminars have received technical support from researchers at L’Oreal and elsewhere. Seminar hours will be published 24 hours beforehand at www.palais‐decouverte.fr. They are included in the Palais de la découverte entrance ticket, which also covers all permanent and temporary exhibitions. ©Palais de la decouverte C. Rousselin Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐14/21‐ WEBSITE Find out lots more about the science of hair at www.hair‐science.com
This site, in English and French, has been created by L'Oréal to share knowledge about the subjects covered in the exhibition. Taking a scientific approach, it consists primarily of uniquely fascinating visuals, including over 400 graphic illustrations, videos and animations, and brief explanatory texts about the science, life cycle and symbolism of hair. BOOK Les vies du cheveu
By Marie‐Christine Auzou and Sabine Melchior‐Bonnet Published by Editions Découvertes Gallimard Released on September 29th 2011, and available in all good bookstores. The average man or woman has 100,000 to 150,000 hairs – that's 200 to 300 per square centimetre. Straight, curly, frizzy, blond, red, brown or black: their form and colour vary hugely with ethnic origin, genetic makeup, and age. Today, science has answered many questions about the nature, and physical and cosmetic properties of hair, and why it grows and falls out. But every civilisation since the dawn of time has been fascinated by hair, and in the Bible and to the ancient Greeks and Romans, it had a magical, sacred significance. Hair is also a language, its quantity, colour and shape telling us a great deal about its owner. Some religions require adherents to "sacrifice" their hair by removing or covering it, and shaving has been used as a punishment for slaves, prisoners and adulterous women. More recently, the short‐haired tomboy look has become a symbol of women's liberation, while men have used long hair as a gesture of rebellion against the established order. Hair is also a form of cultural expression: "savages" have long, shaggy hair, while "civilised" people have theirs neatly trimmed. Hair is a form of ornamentation, an expression of beauty, sensuality, and social status. More than 150 illustrations bring to life the history, culture and science of hair: paintings, drawings, engravings, historic and contemporary photographs, posters and advertisements, diagrams, and microscope images. The book explores beliefs, magical rituals, hairstyles, wigs, cuts and colours, and the chemistry and biology of hair. Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐15/21‐ About the authors Marie‐Christine Auzou is a pharmacist at the Faculté de Pharmacie in Paris. She taught technical and regulatory aspects of cosmetics at various universities until 1984, when she set up the scientific communication department at the L’Oreal group's applied hair research and development laboratories. Sabine Melchior‐Bonnet holds a chair in modern and contemporary history at the Collège de France. DÉCOUVERTES GALLIMARD New edition Série Culture et société n° 405 128 pages / €13.20 Press contact: David Ducreux Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 54 16 70 Email: david.ducreux@gallimard.fr Assistant: Charlotte Fagart Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 54 42 91 Email: charlotte.fagart@gallimard.fr www.decouvertes‐gallimard.fr Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐16/21‐ HAIR FACTS AND FIGURES • Hair grows an average of 0.3mm per day, or around 1cm per month • The population of France produces 1.3km of hair a month, or 16km a year • The bulb is located 4 mm below the skin, at the root of the hair • The follicles produce 20kg of keratin a year • A fine hair is 45 microns in diameter • A dry hair in good condition can be stretched by about 30% without breaking. A wet hair stretches by around 50%. • Each day, we lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs • A hair can support an average of 100 grammes without breaking • Each square centimetre of scalp contains about 200 hairs • The average scalp is 600 square centimetres in area • The average person has 120,000 hairs PEOPLE AND HAIR Sources: Etudes U&A, Europe 2007 data • 65% of women say they have some white hair • 37% of women have blond hair. 38% are naturally blonde. • 5% of women have red hair. 2% are naturally redhaired. • 40% of women have short hair • 50% of men say they are losing their hair • 50% of women colour their hair; only 4% of men do so (54% and 3% in France) • 63% use lacquer or sprays ©Stéphane Coutelle
Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐17/21‐ THE PARTNERSHIP WITH L’ORÉAL THE L'ORÉAL CORPORATE FOUNDATION The L’Oreal Corporate Foundation, created in 2007, pursues the goal of making the world a better place each day. It draws on the Group’s values and business to strengthen and perpetuate the Group’s commitment to social responsibility. As the second‐largest corporate foundation in France, the L’Oreal Foundation is committed to three types of action: promoting scientific research in the fundamental and human sciences, supporting education and helping individuals made vulnerable by alternations to their appearance to reclaim their rightful place in society. http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/html/philanthropy/foundation.aspx RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT L'OREAL L’Oreal was established in 1909 by a chemical engineer, Eugène Schueller, who invented the first synthetic hair dyes. Ever since then, research has been at the heart of its strategy and culture. The group employs over 3,400 specialists in more than 30 scientific disciplines, including chemistry, biology, physics, optics, dermatology, toxicology and genetics. They carry out advanced hair, skin and colour research, developing knowledge of hair at the cellular level, and identifying the biological mechanisms involved in natural hair colouring, ageing, whitening and hair loss. Over the past 35 years, the scientists have synthesized over 100 active moderate molecules which protect, repair or colour the hair. They also design, develop and test products for all hair types in L'Oreal's 18 research centres in France, China, Japan, the United States and Brazil. In 2010, the group spent over €665 million, or 3% of its sales, on cosmetics and dermatology research. A quarter of its research budget is devoted to advance research programmes, with the emphasis on using the life sciences, biotechnology and genetics to increase knowledge of the biological mechanisms of the hair and skin. L’Oreal also has 12 evaluation centres around the world, studying local hair types and care techniques. To consolidate the competitive advantages of its innovations, over the past ten years, the group has registered over 2,000 patents (including 612 in 2010 alone), and some 40,000 international extensions. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ten L'Oréal laboratories have worked on the creative aspects of the exhibition, including metrology, biology, physical measurement, molecular modelling, applied physics, microscopy, cosmetometry, sensory analysis, and the machinery production workshop. Some twenty researchers contributed their expertise to the event's educational role. Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐18/21‐ THE PALAIS DE LA DECOUVERTE – UN LIEU UNIVERSCIENCE Located in the historic west wing of the Grand Palais in the heart of Paris, the Palais de la Découverte ‐ Universcience brings the wonders of science to life. Based on its founding principle of demonstrating the everyday realities of science, its programme of events includes often spectacular demonstrations by specialists in public science education. Over 60 experiments are conducted in the permanent exhibition areas each day, and the centre also offers attractive, enjoyable exhibitions with the focus on information and debate, lectures, and online resources, all designed to encourage curiosity about the wonders of the earth and the universe, and of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. Universcience opened on January 1st, 2010. It is the result of a merger between the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie and the Palais de la Découverte, whose purpose is to promote science and technology. Drawing on the accumulated expertise of both venues, Universcience helps the public to understand the fast‐changing complexities of the 21st century by providing them with reference points and new tools. It also promotes economic growth and social cohesion by encouraging young people to take up careers in science and technology. Lastly, Universcience brings together players in these two areas in France and develops new ways of transmitting scientific and technical knowledge. The centre operates its own online television channel, www.universcience.tv, and the science and technology resource portal www.universcience.fr. Its events programme aims to build bridges between the arts and sciences, and to foster a passion for science among the general public. ©S. Chivet Palais de la découverte
Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐19/21‐ New exhibition at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie: Gaulois, une Expo Renversante New insights into the lives of the Gauls The new temporary exhibition at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie runs from October 19th, 2011 to September 2nd, 2012. It is organised in partnership with the ministry of culture and communication, and coproduced by Inrap, the Forum Départemental des Sciences de Villeneuve‐d'Ascq, and the Pavillon des Sciences de Montbéliard. The exhibition uses archaeological discoveries from the past twenty years to overturn many preconceptions about the Gauls. Using a multidisciplinary scientific approach and a wide variety of display technology, it is suitable for all ages. The event revolutionises our knowledge about the Gauls and their complex and, in historic terms, very recent civilisation. The highly interactive exhibition consists of five very different sections, in which the displays and settings invite the visitor to assume different roles, sometimes closely involved, sometimes a spectator or a detective. It is the result of cooperation between display technologists, producers, artists, illustrators and scientists, and highlights the cultural richness of Gaulish society. So where does our knowledge of the Gauls come from? Much of it derives from two major excavations by the Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, which have profoundly transformed our understanding of this culture and dispelled many stereotypes and caricatures. We now have a very detailed knowledge of the Gauls' habitat, everyday lives, agriculture, society and territory. The exhibition also includes a unique collection of Gaulish artefacts, many of them from the important Tintignac site. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, Qui Étaient les Gaulois?, published jointly by Les Editions de La Martinière and Universcience Editions and edited by François Malrain and Matthieu Poux. Press information: Catherine Meyer +33 (0)1 40 05 82 33 catherine.meyer@cite‐sciences.fr www.cite‐sciences.fr/presse Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐20/21‐ PRACTICAL INFORMATION Palais de la découverte – Universcience Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 75008 Paris Opening times Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am to 6pm Sundays and public holidays: 10am to 7pm Closed Mondays, and January 1st, May 1st, July 14th, August 15th, and December 25th Admission €7, €4.50 reductions Additional charge for planetarium: €3.50 Additional charge for workshops: €1.50 Ticket includes entrance to all temporary and permanent exhibitions. Public transport Metro: Champs‐Élysées‐Clémenceau or Franklin Roosevelt Bus: routes 28, 42, 52, 63, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93 R.E.R: Invalides Vélib’ (bike rental): station no. 8029, 1 avenue Franklin Roosevelt; station no 8013, 27 rue de Marignan Planetarium Tuesday to Sunday Performance times: 10am, 11.30am, 2pm, 3.15pm, 4.30pm Entrance: €3.50 Information Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 43 20 21 www.palais‐decouverte.fr Facebook, Dailymotion, Twitter and Knowtex ©S.Chivet Palais de la découverte
Press Kit "Le cheveu, de mèche avec la science" exhibition October 14th, 2011 to August 26th, 2012, Palais de la découverte – Universcience ‐21/21‐