French National Science Fair 2026 : a look back at three days of sharing, discussion, and discoveries

Friday October 2, which was dedicated to school groups, gathered approximately 520 pupils, while on Saturday and Sunday the workshops were open to the general public and attracted a large crowd (approximately 2,700 people).

SPS offered its two flagship workshops: “Plants and Humans”, which explores how humans domesticated and selected the plants we grow today, and “Change your diet for the climate”, which provides a fun way to assess how our eating habits contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The SPS laboratories completed the program with several other workshops: “Fungi: the good, the bad, and the ugly!”, “DNA in motion”, “Insects and plants in new approaches to biological control”, “Habitat fragmentation and genetic drift: genes have a mind of their own”, ”When plants breathe, sweat… and perfume!” and “Bacteria? Real master chefs!”.

New to this edition, the mini-lecture “Do you suffer from botanical blindness?” addressed the difficulty of noticing plants in one’s environment and recognizing their importance. This lecture is part of a broader reflection on science outreach initiatives to be implemented to combat this phenomenon.

The workshops drew keen interest throughout the weekend. The three days were marked by constant interaction and numerous exchanges between the scientists and the public.

With its 14th participation in the Science Fair, SPS reaffirms the importance of knowledge transfer and the dissemination of science as part of its objectives.