On a much milder note, but with the same central conundrum, here is the introduction to Fragile Objects: Soft Matter, Hard Science, and the Thrill of Discovery, by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes and Jacques Badoz, Axel Reisinger (Translator)
SCHOOL STORIESThe underlined bold bit is rather political, don't you think?
This book chronicles a journey through the high schools of France and overseas territories, all the way to the French Martinique.
I [de Gennes] had long felt the need to speak to high school students. But that proved impossible. I happen to be the director of what is called in France, a bit pompously, an institute of higher learning (une grande école): the Institute of Physics and Chemistry, in Paris. Had I proposed to a high school principal to give a lecture to his students, he would have replied, with some justification, that it would constitute covert propaganda for my institute, and a visit was, therefore, inadvisable.
But, as fate would have it, the Nobel Committee elected to award me a prize. As a result, from the end of 1991 on, I found myself invited to speak at high schools: most often at the direct initiative of the students themselves, sometimes under the umbrella of student associations, science clubs, etc., but also at the urging of some progressive teachers.
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