In the context of the distinction between normative and descriptive approaches to the relationship between science and religion, this article discusses the recent work of the sociologist Elaine Ecklund. It reviews four of her published outputs, summarising her data concerning the views of religious people and professional scientists, including…

In the French school system, citizenship is treated in a civics course titled "Education in civics, laws and society". However, it would be restrictive to narrow this topic to civics lessons, as the question resurfaces implicitly in other subjects. For instance, emphasis was placed in recent years on teaching about religions within…

Recent advances in various research fields are described. Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to detect destructive enzyme activity, scientists in France have found that an ancient hair dye used by ancient people in Greece and Rome relied on nanotechnology and in the U.S. scientists are developing new…

In 1999, the International Research Training Group "GRK532" was founded as a pilot project for cross-border European postgraduate education along the German/French/Luxembourg borders. The project consists of an interdisciplinary research programme on synthesis, isolation and characterization of new materials accompanied by an ambitious…

One of the most fascinating and frustrating issues in the priority of discovery in science is over just who, for the first time, went on record in the public forum, either orally at a conference or through a published communication, proclaiming that the faculty of articulate human speech was located in the left, not the right, cortical hemisphere.…

Discusses current activities to revitalize French science and industry and this nation's economy. These include increasing the civil research and development budget nearly 20 percent per year, establishing new links between science and industry, and involving scientists in research policy. (JN)

Compares and contrasts French universities which emphasize research in their science and engineering programs to the prestigious "grandes ecoles" (highly specialized engineering schools) which emphasize theory. Discusses the need for reforming the dual higher education system and issues related to alternative reform proposals. (DC)

In this article, the author describes G. Reid Lyon, the director of the branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that sponsors studies on reading, whom crisscrossed the country to herald the findings of scientific research on the subject and press for sweeping change in reading instruction. Lyon's presentations on the…

This description of the characteristics of scientific and technical information databases in France highlights database production and distribution across scientific fields regional distribution of producers, types of data included, recency of creation of databases, and users of databases. (4 references) (CLB)

Describes a joint venture between the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Department of Education in France that was created to allow students to do practical scientific work with the help of a CNRS researcher. Presents two practical projects done by students on organic polymers and on color. Concludes that this increases…