Science Festival 2025
A key event dedicated to promoting scientific knowledge to the general public, the Science Festival will take place this year in France from October 3 to 13, 2025. For this 34th edition, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research has chosen to explore the theme “Intelligences,” highlighting the diversity of forms of intelligence—human, artificial, and collective.
The Plasma Physics Laboratory (LPP) is once again taking part in this major celebration by offering a series of fun, interactive, and educational activities on two occasions: at École Polytechnique on October 3 and 4, and at Sorbonne University from October 10 to 12.
At Ecole polytechnique: Plasma in all its states
On the École Polytechnique campus, the LPP actively contributed to the booth "Plasma in All Its States," showcased in the Grand Hall. This booth was coordinated by EUR PLASMAScience, a consortium of seven laboratories and teams specializing in plasma physics within the Institut Polytechnique de Paris.
Around twenty LPP members—researchers, engineers, and PhD students—came together to share the richness of plasma physics with the public through three main themes:
- Plasmas and Energy (nuclear fusion, the ITER project, etc.);
- Plasmas and Space (astrophysics, space missions, etc.);
- Plasmas and Society (applications in medicine, agriculture, pollution control, etc.).
The first day, reserved for school groups, welcomed nearly 600 middle and high school students, while the Saturday session, open to the general public, set a new attendance record with over 1,600 visitors. Both children and adults were captivated by the demonstrations—particularly the Planeterrella and the electron cannon, displayed in a darkened tent. The LPP team stood out for its linguistic diversity at the booth, with multilingual interactions in French, English, Italian, Bulgarian, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and more.
A New Feature: Immersive Investigation – “Mission Plasma” A major new feature this year, the LPP introduced an original and immersive activity: “Immersive Investigation: Mission Plasma.” Designed for families, this role-playing game allowed participants to explore plasma physics in a playful and engaging way. You are on Solaris, an exoplanet in search of a new source of light, faces sabotage just as the galaxy’s brightest minds prepare to choose the technology that will illuminate its future. Artificial auroras, fusion reactors, or plasma light bulbs—which invention will save Solaris? And above all, who is the traitor among the scientists? Led by enthusiastic PhD students and actors, the game was a great success. The public happily joined the investigation and discovered the many applications of plasma science. This project was made possible thanks to the support of Sorbonne University, as part of the “Science, Culture, Society – Young Audiences” initiative, enthusiastically embraced by the LPP. |
At Sorbonne Université: a dynamic Science village
From October 10 to 12, the LPP will also participate in the Science Village at Sorbonne University, as part of activities coordinated by the Plas@Par federation.
Visitors will find:
- Spectroscopy workshops,
- Educational games based on space missions or video games,
- Scientific poster sessions about plasma applications.
An artistic dimension will also be present with the “Plasma Mirror,” a fascinating visual installation, along with an interactive game centered around the Solar Orbiter mission.
Last but not least ...
The Science Festival is a valuable opportunity to share the passion for research, spark scientific curiosity, and make science accessible to everyone. It also serves to raise awareness among young people about today’s major global challenges.
The LPP warmly thanks all participants, contributors, and visitors who help make these events a success. We hope to see many of you at our upcoming scientific outreach events, as we continue this journey of discovery together.