agency for communicating scientists' research to the public and a partnership with Google to provide free access to bibliographical references. In 1985 he became board chairman and scientific director of the Institut national de recherche pédagogique, where he remained until 1991. Inspired by the success of San Francisco's Exploratorium, Delacôte became friends with Frank Oppenheimer. Following Oppenheimer's death in 1985, he was headhunted to the Exploratorium, becoming executive director there from 1991 until 2005. During his tenure as executive director, Dr. Delacôte worked toward extending the reach of the museum through networking—increasing outreach, expanding teacher professional development programs, creating an expanded Web presence, and supporting the formation of museum partnerships in the U.S. and abroad. He founded the Exploradôme in Paris in 1998. From 2005 until 2012 he was Chief Executive of the At-Bristol science centre. His September 2005 move there came about for personal reasons, with his family being in London and France. In an interview in 2006, he said that he wanted to concentrate on "the quality of the exhibits and activities, and developing a network of science centres across the UK". He also said that he was disappointed with the level of English government funding for science centres, considering arrangements in Scotland and Wales to be better. His time in Bristol has been credited by the French Ambassador to the UK with giving the centre a "completely new lease of life", by assembling teams including scientists and the best exhibit designers. In 2011 Delacôte was appointed by Cambridge Science Centre as chairman, the intention being to open a science centre in Cambridge. Upon leaving At-Bristol in 2012, he expected to return to France to develop a network of science centres similar to the Exploradôme. Publications Savoir Apprendre [Knowing how to learn] Paris, Odile Jacob, 1996 Putting Science in the Hands of the Public, June 1998 Apoptosis: the way for science centres to thrive, 2003 Pour une économie du bien commun, 2012 Enseigner et apprendre les sciences [Scientific education and acquisition] (contributing author), 2005 References Living people French physicists Museum founders Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Year of birth missing (living people)