A scientific mediation initiative took place at ENS: around twenty CM2 students from a 18th arrondissement of Paris school came to meet CIENS researchers.

The students presented their work on digital manipulations, the difference between true information and false information, and how to identify the source, evaluate media reliability, etc.

They played the game ‘Guess my research’, inspired by the science festival activities on October 4, 2025 at Ecole normale supérieure. Each esearcher presented objects, (a computer, a Russian doll, a pirate flag, a poster of Antarctica with penguins, a smartphone, a tricorn or even photography of a destroyed war plane). The students had to deduce from these objects the title of their research project, in connection with military nuclear power, and new areas of conflict (cyber, IA, information warfare) and outer space.

In a world where fake news is on the rise, understanding what the scientific method entails is crucial: observing, questioning, and verifying. t means becoming an investigator; it means refusing to believe something simply because it’s easy or appealing. It means doubting, questioning, and verifying. It means understanding and analyzing before forming an opinion. These exchanges were enriching and rewarding for both the students and the researchers at CIENS.