La radioactivité, une facette de la nature

The exhibition “Radioactivity–a facet of nature”, produced to be first presented during the 2000 European Science and Technology Week, aims at convincing the public that the progress achieved in nuclear sciences and technology has not only dramatically improved our understanding of the world but has also had an impressive beneficial impact on our day-to-day life. As a further important facet, the European/international dimension of nuclear research is stressed. The exhibition introduces its visitors into basic features and facts of the phenomenon of radioactivity, its role in nature for the evolution of the universe including life, the scientific achievements based on its discovery not only in physics but also in biology, medicine, environmental research, archaeology, and its manifold beneficial applications in day-to-day life, medical diagnosis and treatment, as well as in technology including power production, material analysis, material modification etc. The exhibition also addresses the risks and hazards imposed by radioactivity and - as a consequence of these risks and hazards - the safety regulations and control methods that need to be obeyed in connection with its exploration in research and its exploitation in technology. The exhibition has been complemented by several didactical activities, such as seminars, meetings…A CD-rom with a virtual visit to the exhibition havs been produced and distributed.