A school debate took place yesterday, March 20th, in the French school “Lycée Camille Claudel” (Blois, France) facilitated by Christine -the Physics & Chemistry teacher. The topic of the debate was “Nano sunscreens” and more precisely built around the following question: “Should sunscreens containing nano-TiO2 or nano-ZnO be regulated differently or should they be treated and tested as any sunscreen?”
15-17 years old students conducted a deliberation of two groups: a pro and a con group on using Nano sunscreen. In the debate participated also Ms. Nathalie Poirot from Tours University- Blois Technology Institute, Mr. Xavier Bourrat from the CNRS ISTO – Orléans and Ms Eloïse Gérard from European Schoolnet.
The event started with a welcome speech by the school headmaster, followed by a presentation of the work done by the students in the past months by their teacher, Christine Simon. Dr Bourrat presented the developments of Nanotechnologies as the “New industrial revolution” and addressing to the students, said “you are the generation of this new revolution”. He explained his research topic from an NT perspective: organic minerals and cristals. Using the example of mother-of-pearl which shows that nature has been using NT for 600 millions of years as a defense against intrusion, and which could be applied to medicine for instance against osteoporosis. Dr Poirot then introduced some concrete examples of the use of nanomaterials and presented her research on microprocessors used in mobile phones.
During the event Christine showed 5 videos on NT made by the students which were very creative and entertaining as well as the Stephen Fry movie “NANO You” with French subtitles. Participants of the event could also read the students’ articles on different Nanotechnology topics in the exhibition organized just outside the auditorium.
Then the most important part of the event took place: the round table debate by the students, where two teams confronted each other. Consumers, doctors, a toxicologist, a dermatologist, consumer’s rights defenders, industrialists, State and Ministries representatives were some of the roles played by the students for the afternoon. The debate was moderated by a student-master of ceremony. Well-built arguments (based on scientific studies referenced during the event) were followed by moments of laughter when the representative of an organic sunscreen company called on his “wife” (another student coming from the back of the stage) to demonstrate the excellent results through a perfect tan (student was tainted “orange brown” with body paint!), or when activists screaming “No Nano” invaded the stage and had to be thrown out by student-bodyguards.
At the end of the event the students and parents in the audience expressed their opinion by voting for or against the use of nanotechnology in sunscreen and also for or against a different regulation for Nano sunscreens. The public asked several questions to the panel of students and experts. And the afternoon concluded nicely over a drink at the school’s cafeteria, surely the students and their teacher deserve a big round of applause for this successful event, one of many that keeps impressing us throughout Europe!
