Eleven Lower Sixth Physics pupils flew from Bristol to Geneva on Sunday 16 June to visit CERN, the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (European Council for Nuclear Research).
Founded in 1952, CERN is without doubt the biggest and most expensive physics laboratory on the planet. It is the birthplace of the Internet and, more recently, it is the site which – in 2012 – identified the Higg’s Boson particle; the missing piece in the Standard Model of Particle Physics, which aims to identify the building blocks of matter.
Mount Kelly pupils spent hours enriching their experience and understanding of particle physics, quantum physics and cosmology in CERN’s five exhibition rooms. They were also treated to an interactive lecture about how CERN’s Compact Muon Sensor (CMS) detector is equipped to detect photons, muons and stable charged particles such as protons and electrons.
The trip also included a visit to the United Nations Offices, where they enjoyed a guided tour and witnessed the Human Rights Council in session in a breathtakingly beautiful hall, constructed with a ceiling weighing 23 tonnes, which represents the bottom of the ocean. Other excursions included the History of Science museum and a trip to see the world famous Jet D’Eau, whilst traveling by boat across Lake Geneva.
The trip provided our pupils with a first-class educational experience.
