Tuesday, 14 March, SOLEIL experimental space in the Supelec Gymnasium located on the Saclay plateau.
At 8:45 am we were already busy making the final checks of the connections, adjusting the alignment of lenses and setting out beakers and lab coats for the annual “Bouge la Science” day, during which 300 middle school pupils (sponsored by Supelec students) would be initiated into the scientific disciplines practiced by the event’s partners. SOLEIL, which has been participating in the event for seven years, is one of its most loyal supporters, along with Air Liquide, Schneider and INRIA. We even added an extra workshop this year: in addition to the traditional “light and matter” workshop which fits in well with much of the lower and upper secondary school physics curriculum, we wanted to enhance the young people’s understanding of chemistry, this year’s spotlighted discipline. That morning our mediation team was assisted by Karine Chaouchi and Stephanie Blanchandin, the two scientists at the SOLEIL chemistry laboratory who designed this new workshop*. The participants were divided into groups of five. Each pupil donned a lab coat, gloves and safety glasses; they then started calling out each other’s names – Catherine, Sara, Nicholas, Greg... It took us a few seconds to realize that they were acting out one of their favourite cult series. Their good-natured laughter broke the ice, and the next moment we were all studiously at work looking for the presence of haemoglobin or its constituents via the phenomenon of chemiluminescence, revealing hidden messages and creating polymer reactions with the amazing properties found in the most unlikely everyday objects. As often happens, the students expressed surprise and wonderment. In the meantime, another group had already arrived; as they waited they talked over the day’s activities. The groups then exchanged lab coats and glasses, and the new “experts” went on their way to attack another problem. Just opposite the SOLEIL booth, a Supelec student was making quicksand from corn starch, which incidentally is also a polymer! Even for the small SOLEIL team, which is used to leading conferences, hosting school groups, and helping young people learn more about the disciplines of science and technology at the synchrotron, “Bouge la science” day was exhausting – but also highly motivating. The questions and reactions of these middle school pupils gave us some new ideas that will soon be put into daily application in our SOLEIL workshops and other events we are asked to participate in. In May, we will most likely be in Milly-la-Forêt for a “science circus” open to the general public, organized by the SCIENCES ESSSONNE association; then you will find us in Vélizy, and of course at the Moulon à Gif gymnasium for the science festival organised under the aegis of the ISLE DE SCIENCE association.
*A special thank you to the Ile-de-France Region which supported the production of this workshop as part of its 2010 call for cultural, scientific and technical projects.
