The annual French scientific culture event, the French Science Festival, will commence tomorrow (October 3). To align with the theme of this year, "Intelligence(s)", the Science Promotion Unit of the Hong Kong Science Museum (HKScM) is collaborating with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau to launch the "Intelligences - Different by Nature" exhibition, which will run until October 29. The exhibition will guide visitors through the vast spectrum of intelligence, beginning with the simplest life forms. It will explore how single-celled organisms adapt and navigate, how plants sense and respond to the environment, and will feature the co-ordination and collective intelligence of insects and the complex behaviours of animals. It also delves into the uniqueness of humanity and the development of AI.
      
     Addressing the opening ceremony today (October 2), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan, said that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau have a long-standing partnership dedicated to fostering cultural exchanges through major programmes. The French Science Festival, held annually in Hong Kong since 2021, is just one example of these collaborations. This year's French Science Festival offers a timely and inspiring opportunity to reflect on the evolving concept of intelligence and explore different forms of intelligence.
      
     Officiating guests today included the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs Christile Drulhe, and the Museum Director of the HKScM, Mr Patrick Lau.
      
     In addition, the exhibition showcases precious animal specimens, such as the Arctic fox, Japanese pipistrelle, golden lion tamarin, bigfin reef squid, as well as intricate insect and bird nests from the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum. Visitors can closely admire the diverse strategies animals use to survive and their marvellous skills in building elaborate homes. For example, the common tailorbird is known for its unique nest-stitching ability, using its beak as a needle to stitch leaves together with spider silk to create a secure cup-shaped nest for raising its young. Meanwhile, Asian weaver ants use silk produced by their larvae as "glue" to bind leaves and construct nests. They rely on chemical and tactile signals to communicate and co-ordinate their complex nest-building activities.
      
     The exhibition also features videos on a termite nest, and a clever horse named Hans, offering further insights into animal intelligence. As well, visitors can assemble a brain puzzle to understand the functions of different areas of the brain. The reading corner in the exhibition gallery offers a selection of books from the Hong Kong Public Libraries, covering topics ranging from animal behaviour and survival wisdom to robotics and AI. Through these resources, members of the public can delve into the fascinating nature and diversity of intelligence.
      
     The HKScM will roll out a series of free programmes. An inaugural conference, Intelligence of the Living - Animal Behaviour will be held on October 3. Associate Professor of the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Hong Kong Professor Benoit Guénard, and Chair Professor of Department of Neuroscience of the City University of Hong Kong Professor Yung Wing-ho, will explore intelligence in different life forms from a cross-disciplinary perspective. On October 8, Associate Professor of the Department of Linguistics of the University of Hong Kong Professor Christophe Coupé will explore emerging forms of intelligence within biological and social systems in both humans and animals, and share the latest developments and research in this field at the Language & Intelligence seminar. In addition, on October 12, the HKScM will screen a documentary, "Our Intelligence Unveiled", which investigates the nature of intelligence and the factors that influence it from multiple perspectives.
      
     The exhibition and programmes are jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, and are jointly organised by the Science Promotion Unit of the HKScM and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau. For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit the website at www.spu.hk/en/cards/french-science-festival-2025/.

Ends/Thursday, October 2, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:00

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