The Conversation Junior. Researchers answer children's questions

Last updated on 22 September 2021

The Conversation Junior is a section of the excellent online news site The Conversation. You will find there the answers of researchers and scientists to questions asked by children. Questions and answers deserve much more than just a section, but a site in its own right.

Maybe we can do it. The section that puts science and knowledge at the height of a child has just published its 100th weekly article. One hundred weeks. One hundred questions from kids. One hundred answers from exciting researchers and scientists. Happy birthday.

The Conversation. An original medium amidst the constant noise of the news

I have already said here all the good I thought of the The Conversation website at his birth. I have not changed my mind. This free online media, collaborative and focused on the deepening of information topics by academics and researchers, is very topical, it can no longer be necessary at this time or it is sometimes difficult to share between rumours and information.

On The Conversation journalists or contributors are all exclusively from academia and research. The idea is to enlighten the reader, to help them see the news from a different perspective, to put things into perspective. A good remedy for permanent zapping and continuous info-show. Hundreds of articles enrich the shelves of this unique and singular medium supported by the largest universities.

The Conversation Junior. Helpful answers to the right questions from children

The adventure of this Junior version began almost three years ago in a CM2 class in Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire.

‘The idea was very simple: meet the children to collect their questions and find the scientists to answer them, simply, but with all the rigour of the research.’ Benoît Tonson. Head of Science.

The idea has made its way and has been going on for 100 weeks with a detonating exchange.

Eva: “Can a cloud fall?” Thanks to “Why do tears run out of our eyes when we cry?”, Evan, ” Why do we have to die?” Mathis: “Do footballers make too much money?” … Good questions! The questions are often disarmingly simple, but still relevant. The answers are exciting. Both are precious. A real happiness.

Send questions to the editors of The Conversation Junior

If there are no questions, there will be no articles. The editors of The Conversation invite children and teenagers to send their questions. A good teaching tool and a good pretext to make your class work around the formulation of a question to ask researchers and thus involve your students in this project. Send your questions to this address. 

The Conversation is an online, free and ad-free medium. An excellent resource for all ages 7 to 77. The section “The Conversation Junior” is a nice variation.