My Experience at La Nuit des Chercheur(e)s in Toulouse

One of the harder parts of preparing the stand was figuring out how to explain induction heating in a way that made sense to everyone, from kids to adults. On paper, it sounds like a very technical idea. But with the right analogy, people quickly got it. We compared it to cooking. Conventional heating is like boiling water on a stove: the burner heats the pot, and then the pot heats the water, a lot of energy is lost along the way. Magnetic induction, on the other hand, lets you create heat “directly” in the material.

When nanoparticles are placed under an alternating magnetic field, they rapidly generate lots of heat right where it is needed.¹ What makes this even more interesting is when you combine it with catalysis. We can design nanoparticles that not only produce heat but also speed up chemical reactions.² So instead of needing two separate systems: one to heat and another to catalyse, you get both functions in the same material. That means processes that are faster, more efficient, and potentially more interesting in terms of green chemistry.

Explaining this was not just about simplifying concepts, it was also about doing it in French. I’m used to presenting my work in English or sometimes in Spanish (my native language), but here the whole interaction was in a language I do not use frequently for science. At first it felt like an extra obstacle, but it quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of the night.

Every conversation pushed me to be creative. Sometimes I had to switch from technical words to metaphors or even use gestures and drawings when I couldn’t remember the right term. This constant back-and-forth made the discussions more dynamic, and honestly, more fun. By the end of the evening, I knew that the language challenge had helped me improve as a communicator overall. It reminded me that explaining science is not really about sounding perfect, but it is about connecting with people while being clear and concise.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was the diversity of the audience: families with kids, teenagers in groups, older couples… Everyone came with their own curiosity, perspectives and questions. With children, I kept things very visual: magnets, models, colours, and simple images of nanoparticles. Teenagers often wanted to know about applications: Can this be used in medicine? Can this be used in everyday life? Adults tended to focus on practical aspects: efficiency, costs, and how this compares to what we already have as heating sources or catalytic materials.

We rapidly realised that instead of just “teaching,” we were having real conversations. The public didn’t just listen passively; they challenged us, asked smart questions, and made us think about our research from angles we do not always have totally in mind.

I can definitely say this experience was a very nice way to begin my PhD. It brought together several things I really value: the chance to share what I do, the challenge of communicating in another language, and the joy of seeing people of all ages get excited about science. For any PhD student or early-career researcher, I would absolutely recommend events like this. We often spend most of our time inside the lab or writing papers that only specialists read, but the truth is that science should not end there. Sharing openly what we do not only helps people understand why research matters, it also gives us fresh motivation and perspective.

When I left the Cité de l’Espace that night (after midnight), I was exhausted. Speaking French nonstop for hours kind of burnt my brain, but I also felt satisfied. Inspired by the curiosity of the visitors, by the questions they asked, and by the reminder that science has the power to connect people of different ages, cultures, and languages.

Find out more about my research project here.