At the opening of the SCF18 congress, a weekend dedicated to public is organized in Montpellier and Toulouse: June 30^th and July 1^st.

« Chimie et Société » – Fondation de la Maison de la chimie – and the « Société Chimique de France » co-organize this event to allow exchanges between chemists and the public through demonstrations and hands-on activities related to their research work. The objective is to inform the public about current research on the theme « Chemistry, Life and Environment » in Montpellier and « Chemistry and Life » in Toulouse.

We call on the SCF18 participants to take part to the activities proposed in Montpellier or in Toulouse and detailed below. Registration is free. The audience is mainly French-speaking. Interested chemists can propose a demonstration or associate themselves with those proposed by bringing information related to their field of research. PhD students will receive a certificate of attendance to be presented to their doctoral school for getting thesis credits.

In Toulouse, Quai des Savoirs and Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, allée Jules Guesde, Saturday 30 June from 10am to 8pm et Sunday 1^st July from 10am to 6pm

About sixteen demonstrations for all public will be led by « Chimie et société » members, SCF18 participants, members of the « RJ-SCF », local academic and industrial chemists and local associations in the following fields:

1.     The chemistry of frangrances and flavors

2.     Focus on DNA

3.     The chemistry and food

4.     Metals and life

7.     Biocatalyse ?

8.     The chemistry and drugs

Toulouse will also be one of the stages of the Caravan of Chemistry: Four hands-on activities for discovering chemistry, provided by « Chimie et Société », will be offered to children and conducted by members of the « RJ-SCF » and local chemists.

1.     I light a bulb, I discolor grenadine. A travel inside coal.

2.     I swell a balloon without blowing, I prepare Smurf foam. How to produce gas by a chemical reaction ?

3.    What color is my pen? I separate the dyes from the M & M’s. Are the colors I see a mixture? How to separate them? 

4.    The mystery of the anonymous letter. Sherlock will show you how to find the author of the letter you received. 

Debates cafe from 2 pm at the Quai des Savoirs, allow exchanges with socio-economic actors in the field of chemistry and life, researchers and creators of innovative companies.

Performances of « Marmites et Molécules », a clown-chemist show, are scheduled at the Museum on Saturday and Sunday at 11 am and 4 pm.

Finally, an evening for all public will be given at the auditorium of Museum on Saturday June 30^th at 6 pm by Clotilde Policar (ENS Paris), Marc Fontecave (Collège de France and Member of Académie des Sciences) and Jacques Livage (Collège de France and Member of Académie des Sciences)on biomimetic chemistry. It will be host by comedian Fabrice Guerin, choreographer Claudine Tremeaux and « Les Chemins Buissonniers ». This evening will be broadcast simultaneously at the Salle Pagézy in Montpellier. 

– From 5:45 pm : meeting in front of Café du Quai

– 6 pm : departure of a choreographed route through the gardens of the Museum

– 6:30 pm : evening opening at the auditorium of the Museum

– 8 pm : reception in Grand carré of Museum