Fête de la Science 2026

Le Collège de France et les ChADoC (Chercheurs Associés et Doctorants du Collège de France) invitent les classes de lycée le vendredi 2 octobre et les publics de tous âges le samedi 3 octobre 2026, de 10 h à 18 h (derniers admis à 17 h 15 ), pour des moments festifs et captivants autour des sciences.

Admission is free and no prior registration is required.

De jeunes chercheuses et chercheurs vous inviteront à participer à des expériences ludiques et interactives, conçues pour vous faire découvrir les grandes disciplines scientifiques qui font l’excellence du Collège de France.

Special guided laboratory tours, available by registration, will also give you a behind-the-scenes look at research in biology and physics. Accompanied by the scientists who work there every day, you’ll get an up-close look at their activities and research.

Finally, the Collège de France pop-up shop will open its doors especially for this occasion. There you’ll find a selection of souvenirs as well as books published by The Collège de France Publishing Department.

On the schedule

Friday, October 2

On Friday, October 2, 2026, as part of the School Science Festival, the Collège de France invites high school students to explore research in a new way.

Four interactive lectures are on the program, offering an immersive experience at the heart of the scientific world. This format gives students an active role, helping to hold their attention and gradually encourage their participation. They will meet a researcher and explore the researcher’s topic together.

A day designed to spark students’ curiosity, make science more accessible, challenge common misconceptions about research, and reinforce their sense of legitimacy in participating in it.

Further details and information

Program:

• 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. “From the Madeleine to Neurons: How Are Our Memories Formed?” Lou Frehring and Esther Fournel, Interdisciplinary Research Center in Biology (CIRB) – M. ZUGARO team “Brain Rhythms and Neural Coding of Memory”
• 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. “Are We All Being Watched? Michel Foucault and the Mechanisms of Power” Aurèle Méthivier, Chair of Prof. Fassin “Moral Questions and Political Issues in Contemporary Societies”
• 2:00–3:00 p.m. “From Fossils to Human History: What Do the Traces of the Past Reveal to Us?” Juliette Henrion, Chair of Prof. Hublin “Paleoanthropology”
• 3:30–4:30 p.m. “The Mystery of the Ark of the Covenant: Can You Uncover the Truth?” Matteo Bächtold, Chair of Prof. Römer “The Hebrew Bible and its Contexts”

Saturday, October 3

Interactive Workshops

Experience immersive activities in neuroscience, microbiology, phylogenetics, electrochemistry, physics, mathematics, and more. In four different rooms, four major themes will be presented:

• Biodiversity Universe
• The World of Cells
• The World of Neuroscience
• The World of Physics – Superconductors

Detective Investigation

Given its success with young and old alike, a new police investigation will be presented to test your deductive skills. By following the clues, you’ll use your scientific skills and logic to find the culprit! Get ready to put your detective skills to the test to recover the stolen bust of Claude Bernard…
Investigation suitable for ages 8 and up.

Lab Tours

Advance registration required. Tours of two biology laboratories and two physics laboratories. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

• The Kastler-Brossel Laboratory is a joint research unit of the CNRS, the Collège de France ( Institute of Physics ), Sorbonne University, and the École normale supérieure, which studies quantum physics. Here, researchers manipulate atoms under extreme conditions to study their behavior when they are isolated and near absolute zero. Come visit one of the experimental rooms to discover the equipment researchers use to create these extraordinary conditions.
• The Interdisciplinary Center for Biology Research (CIRB) at the Collège de France is home to numerous research teams working on a variety of topics. We invite you to step inside two of these laboratories and discover how microbiologists and neuroscientists conduct their experiments.