Sciences en crises

Overview & Synopsis

As crises multiply, the role of researchers is evolving. Many of them are now stepping out of their academic comfort zones to engage in the public sphere through unprecedented forms of activism, which can extend as far as civil disobedience. This book explores this turning point from two perspectives: an analysis of the new relationship between science and politics, and the journey of a researcher engaged in various public arenas—from campaigns against the use of plastic in school cafeterias to the failure of expert assessments on nitrite additives, including the politicization of debates on persistent pollutants and the emergence of collectives such as Scientists in Rebellion. In light of these transformations, the book questions the way we view the world, which is often reduced to an inanimate backdrop and/or a set of resources to be exploited. It highlights certain tensions within contemporary science: despite increasingly precise and effective knowledge, this knowledge proves to be fragmented, standardized, and often disconnected from lived experience and collective concerns. Having become inaudible and illegible, this knowledge no longer enables us to build a dignified and sustainable way of living together. Yet these crises are not inevitable. They offer an opportunity to question how we produce our knowledge and to rethink our experiences and insights in order to reconnect with the world we inhabit—while there is still time.