On Tuesday, May 26, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris hosted the conference “Can We See the Invisible?”, dedicated to the uses of light in various fields of scientific research. More than 70 people attended this evening of discussions and demonstrations.
During the conference, speakers presented several applications of light in astronomy, spectroscopy, materials analysis, and the study of works of art. Discussions focused in particular on methods for obtaining information about objects or phenomena invisible to the naked eye, through the analysis of different wavelengths.
Several live experiments were also conducted to illustrate the phenomena discussed: a demonstration of Newton’s disc, infrared photography of the audience, and observation of the spectrum of a mercury vapor lamp.
The conference brought together Vincent Boudon and Cyril Richard, CNRS researchers at the ICB Laboratory, as well as Arnaud Cuisset, Professor at the University of the Littoral Opal Coast, Dunkirk, and Maud Rotger, Professor at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne.
The evening concluded with a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The conference is available to watch again on YouTube.
