French Science Festival 2024: diving deep into an ocean of knowledge

The “Fête de la Science” (Science Festival) was first created in 1991 by the French ministry of research, to become over the years a key event for all audiences, starting with students and science enthusiasts. In 2023, the Science Festival attracted about one million visitors in 6,000 fun, accessible, original and participatory events (all free of charge) organised by 10,000 researchers and scientific mediators, all over France and the world.

A theme at the crossroads of all knowledge

Thousands of scientists and cultural mediators “share their enthusiasm for sciences with the audience” in multiple initiatives, listed by the ministry: visits of labs to discover the backgrounds of research, Science cafés, to learn with a cup in hand, live shows to enjoy a moment between art and sciences, experiments in a Fablab to “touch science with your fingers” or walks in many Science Villages, true places of meetings implemented in the heart of cities and populated with scientists.

Regarding themes, all fields are covered, with a special focus this year on ocean, since this a “theme at the crossroads of all knowledge” and a “true open-air lab” Organisers explain that this complex environment attracts a wide scope of research in fundamental sciences (life science, physics and chemistry, geology, etc.), as well as applied sciences (renewable energies, natural risks management, etc.) or human and social science (history, economy, geopolitics). Though the ocean “plays a central role in the future of the Earth and humanity”, France, “as the world’s second-largest maritime area behind the United States” is “in the front line with its 20,000 km of coastline and a surface area of 10 million km2 spread over all the seas”.

A free dive sponsor and ambassadors on the field

“It is the duty of science to question its objective and look to work first and foremost for the common good, i.e. respecting all life on our planet.” So says Guillaume Néry, an activist free diver and maritime world enthusiast, sponsor of the 2024 Science Festival, “perfectly embodies this year’s theme, Ocean of Knowledge”. Organisers explain that Néry is now dedicated to “sharing his passion in an artistic approach” after having set many sport feats. He shoots short films underwater watched hundreds of millions views on the Web and shares his experience in conferences directed to very diverse publics. 

With the sponsor of the event, about 30 ambassadors, women and men, scientific experts, researchers and engineers, from the public and private sectors, will also serve as relays of scientific knowledge for the audience. They will proudly share the values of the event in their regions and oversea territories, their research entity and their universities. There are two main categories of ambassadors: those who, on local territories, will bring value and promote scientific initiatives, and those who, in major French research entities, focus on raising the public’s awareness to “the scientific process to present current researches in all disciplines”.

Doctors-ambassadors of the book of science

To complement this mechanism, seven doctors turned for a time into “women and men ambassadors of the book of science”. Indeed, thanks to the “Science en bulles” operation (Science in speech bubbles), organised for a second time and focusing on “water in all its states”, doctors are about to “share their knowledge, techniques and innovations and imagine the future by explaining science in a way that is fun and accessible to all”.  Using a comics format, made by a professional comic artist expert in scientific mediation, they staged in images their thesis subject from any discipline.

In “a revamped format leaving more room to narration”, Sciences en bulle is made this year of seven comics showing thesis works all focused on water and the ocean. Doctors indeed “played ball to tell their research work in images”. Sciences en bulles takes visitors on a “real journey to the heart of science in the making”, as they explore the “bubbles” of their theses through a travelling exhibition, meeting these “doctoral students of the book” in their home universities or laboratories.

An international echo

The Science Festival is also an international event. Every year on 10 November, World Science Day is celebrated. This year, this date should also mark the kick-off of the Science Festival internationally.

As the organisers point out, World Science Day, which has been chosen by the United Nations and UNESCO, “aims, like the Science Festival, to inform the public about advances in science and to highlight the role of scientists in understanding the world around us”. It will be an opportunity “for all lovers of the French language to come together around the world to celebrate science”.