Éclats de Sciences 2026: Flavors of Science

Festival Science and Technology Culture, Culture
October 2, 2026 – October 13, 2026Saint-Martin-d'Hères - University Campus
Come and tantalize your taste buds at the Science Festival on the Saint-Martin-d'Hères campus, which this year will explore the theme “Savory Science”! A program to enjoy to your heart’s content and feed your curiosity!
Scientists from Université Grenoble Alpes will whet your appetite by exploring science through a program rich in experiments and encounters.

For lunch, come enjoy the activities in the university library lobbies, attend lectures, or tour the university’s laboratories. In the evening, choose from a variety of options, including shows, game nights, and lectures.
Events are always free; sometimes reservations are required. All ticket offices can be found on the page Grenoble Ticket Office.
 
Lab Open Houses

Thursday, October 8, and Friday, October 9, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., by reservation.
Go behind the scenes of research and ask about the house specialties!
12 exceptional tours focusing on astronomy, geology, chemistry, and neuroscience at the DCM, IGE, IPAG, ISTerre, LEGI, LEPMI, LPNC, OSUG, and SIMaP. 

Science Lunch Breaks
Friday, Oct. 2, through Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Spark your curiosity with activities led by university scientists in the lobbies of the University Libraries!
On the agenda: insects, glaciers, cement, DIY sensors, biodiversity, quantum physics, food, and the study of a manuscript...
Shows and Evening Events
When the arts meet the sciences, sophisticated flavors stimulate both the senses and curiosity. Enjoy performances that nourish both the imagination and the mind.
All performances require reservations. 
  • Science Game Night on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at EVE, with the Graal Grenoble association (more info).
    Come discover the games created by doctoral students during the last Scientific Game Jam, along with many other science-themed games!
  • Carnée Lecture, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: a theatrical lecture by the Gérard Gérard Company at EST – Espace Scénique Transdisciplinaire

    Through the interpretation of statistics (PowerPoint), the examination of ethical issues (bulletproof vests), and the recounting of their journeys through the vast world of the meat industry, the Gérard Gérard Company offers you a brief recap of their investigations: from the pinnacle of livestock farming to the Butchers’ Trade Show, from the bellow of the stag to the archaeozoology lab, not to mention the ballet of pallet jacks at the Pavillons de Rungis and the ghost of Maïté.
    Conceived as a complement to the show CARNE, the “Conférence Carnée” serves as a forum for presenting the research findings of the Gérard Gérard company.
  • AI & Culinary Expertise: Technology and Food, the Thursday, Oct. 8, 12:30–1:30 p.m. : a theatrical lecture by the Cie "One Euro Doesn't Make a Spring", in the Jonquille lecture hall at INSPE Grenoble

    This theatrical lecture invites you to explore artificial intelligence from a new perspective. It offers a fresh look at food and public health issues, encourages you to examine the benefits and risks of AI tools, and helps you understand how technology can support positive changes in our lifestyles and well-being.
    Presented by the EFELIA-MIAI “Skills and Careers of the Future” project and the MIAI Cluster Institute.

  • CARNE, Thursday, Oct. 8, 6: 30–8:00 p. m.: a street performance by the Gérard Gérard Company, in front of the EST building

    “CARNE” is a performance that seeks to question, shed light on, and collectively reclaim a subject that concerns us all: MEAT. A production that poses the question head-on: how can we share a table?
    Is meat a “right-wing” issue? Does eating better mean chewing more? Is chicken a fruit or a vegetable? If I stop eating meat, will I still be able to go skiing?
    An exploration of our relationships with meat and animals through five characters from the same village. During intermission, suddenly, everything changes... Daydreams and nightmares intertwine with our human flesh, tearing down the masks and revealing those who haunt us.
    Not recommended for children under 10.
The Lectures
On the agenda: carefully crafted presentations designed to spark reflection. An opportunity to explore current research and its societal implications.
  • Cadmium in chocolate?  Monday, Oct. 5, 6:30–8:00 p.m. at IMAG with Géraldine Sarret, CNRS research director, and Fabien Letort, a doctoral student at the Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTerre); reservations required. 

    What are the sources of cadmium exposure in our diet? And how can we limit our exposure? In this lecture, Géraldine Sarret and Fabien Letort will focus specifically on chocolate, which contributes (to a small extent) to cadmium intake in our diet. You’ll follow its journey from the soil to the cocoa beans and learn about the research being conducted to better understand and limit this transfer into our food.
  • What Is My Professor Looking For? Tuesday, Oct. 6, 12:00–1:00 p.m. at the DLST—Room B013 with Boris Brun-Barrière, professor of physics at UGA and researcher at the CEA

    How Do You Build a Quantum Computer? Boris Brun-Barrière, professor of physics at UGA and researcher at the CEA, will introduce you to one of the most promising approaches: harnessing the magnetic moment of electrons, known as “spin,” as well as the challenges involved.
    As part of the new lecture series “What Is My Professor Researching?” organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DLST)

  • Could your microbiome control your grocery shopping? Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM at the Joseph-Fourier University Library amphitheater with Christophe Moinard, professor of nutrition at Université Grenoble Alpes (learn more)

    Our eating behavior, and in particular our shopping habits, are influenced by numerous parameters that have been the subject of numerous studies. Recently, an original theory was proposed: what if, when you go grocery shopping, it's not actually you making the choices, but your microbiome deciding for you? Christophe Moinard, professor of nutrition at Université Grenoble Alpes, will shed light on what science says about this question.
    Part of the University Libraries' Science Infuse workshops
  • Food Influencers and Social Media: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2:00–4:00 p.m. at MUSE with Léa Gruyer, researcher at the GRESEC laboratory and instructor at IUT2 Grenoble (more info)

    Today, influencers serve as information relays on social media, advising their followers on their eating habits. By studying their online communication strategies, Léa Gruyer examines the impact of their recommendations on our eating habits.
    Open primarily to teachers;reservations required. 

  • How can we encourage the (regular) consumption of insects? Tuesday, Oct. 13, 12:30–1:30 p.m. at MSH-Alpes with Agnès Helme-Guizon, professor of social marketing at Grenoble IAE-INP and researcher at the CERAG laboratory (more info)

    Despite the health and environmental benefits, insects are still struggling to find their place on Western plates. Why do these barriers persist despite a diverse range of options? The answer may lie in a new approach: involving consumers in the implementation of solutions.
    As part of the “Avenue Centrale: A Meeting Place for the Humanities” series at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (MSH-Alpes).
All week

Science can be written about and portrayed in a thousand different ways, through words and images.

  • Follow the adventures and expeditions of Éclats de sciences on our social media channels!
  • Fancy a good read? A selection of books in the university libraries to explore the theme “Saveurs savantes” across a wide range of scientific fields.
Published on May 7, 2026
Updated on September 30, 2026