Science Festival – Fete de la science 2026 au LPS
We are delighted to invite you to the Science Festival at the Laboratory of Solid State Physics (LPS) in Orsay, taking place on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
On the programme:
- Hands-on science workshops
- Guided tours and experiments
- Interactive activities for all ages
📅 Sunday, October 4, 2026 · 2:00–5:30 p.m.
📍 Laboratory of Solid State Physics (LPS)
1 rue Nicolas Appert, Building 510
91405 Orsay Cedex, France
Young and old alike are invited to discover scientific research through interactive workshops, spectacular demonstrations, and visits to research facilities and experiments.
Come and experiment, explore, and meet the scientists who are helping shape the science of today and tomorrow!
Programme of activities
| Workshop | What you will discover | Building |
|---|---|---|
| Superconductivity and levitation | Observe levitation using superconducting materials and discover the remarkable properties of matter at very low temperatures. | Building 510 |
| Giant bubbles | Explore the physics of liquid films and have fun with giant bubbles while discovering the forces that shape them. | Building 510 |
| Discovering the quantum computer | Discover the engineering behind the creation and operation of qubits, the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers. | Building 510 |
| Vibrations and sounds | See sound with Chladni plates, make music with stepper motors and floppy disk drives, turn a hard drive into a loudspeaker, and discover a musical Tesla coil. | Building 510 |
| Taming the electron for electron microscopy | Generate, observe, and move an electron, then follow its journey from the cathode-ray tube to the electron microscope. | Building 510 |
| Under pressure — and beyond | Discover the effects of vacuum and pressure on light, sound, gases, and liquids, and explore the physics of scuba diving. | Building 510 |
| Physics and cooking | Can you measure the speed of light using a microwave oven and chocolate? And what can raclette teach us about physics? Come and find out! | Building 510 |
🎶 A meeting point between science and art
This year, the Science Festival will also be an opportunity to discover two original artworks presented at the LPS as part of “Être au son” (“Being in Sound”), the sixth strand of the Résonances Art-Science Paris-Saclay programme.
At the LPS — Laboratory of Solid State Physics — you will have the opportunity to discover works by Karine Bonneval and Fanny Rybak, as well as by Milène Guermont, and to explore the connections between perception, matter, vibrations, and sound from a different perspective.
✨ An afternoon of discovery and wonder at the heart of scientific research, open to everyone!