INCREDIBLE WEEK. I just got back from a trip to CERN with our high school physics teacher, Jaima Holland, and 13 of our most enthusiastic physics students. It’s a trip Jaima and I have been trying to achieve for the past three years that finally–and fantastically– came to fruition.
Visiting CERN has been a major dream of mine for years, which may seem odd, given my functional illiteracy in any kind of advanced math as well as the fact that although I’m a physics junkie (in terms of the concepts) I’m unconvinced of the validity of results achieved by disturbing a system to study it. Nevertheless, CERN has held my fascination like a mecca for the seekers of the secrets of our physical realm. But I had no real idea what to expect.
It was a massive boon that I was able to make this pilgrimage with those who are as excited about physics as I am and who understand far more about it than I do. For instance, Grade 10 student Roman, who won a place at the International Summer School for Young Physicists at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (one of only 35 students chosen from among 3,000 applicants), will be creating his own accelerator this year for his MYP Personal Project. Grade 11 student Philipp, who is building his own quadcopter from scratch (including designing and producing his own circuit boards), joined the trip not for the physics, but to witness the massive feat of human engineering that CERN is. Not only are ALL our kids exceptional in their interests, they were also a lot of fun to hang out with.
We spent eight fabulous hours at CERN. It was a long day filled with massive amounts technical information, and I loved every minute of it.
MY TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT CERN
1- THE SMELL OF THE SYNCHRO-CYCLOTRON.
Yeah, I know that’s odd. Hear me out. The Synchro-Cyclotron was CERN’s first accelerator, built in 1957 and used until 1990. The building was closed down for more than two decades until its residual radiation subsided. Now it is a permanent exhibition, with its five-meter thick concrete cladding and doors removed but original instruments and furniture still adorning the room. Photograph portraits of the scientists who once worked there line the wall, like Werner Heisenberg, one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics. So what about the smell of the place? It is the smell of the 1950s. It is the anachronistic smell of my grandparents’ home, whose furnishings didn’t change for 40-50 years. Experiencing that same smell in the SC both dated and contemporized Werner Heisenberg and the others for me, as well as their accomplishments. I realized that advanced nuclear experiments were being conducted generations ago. Technology’s exponential advances in the past decade can fool us into thinking that all major advances have occurred recently. Seeing the age of that facility made me realize that wasn’t the case. On the same token, the heroes of my scientific fascination seem so distant that I cannot gauge their age despite knowing the time frames of their research. Understanding some of them were people as close in age to me as my grandparents contemporizes them. It made me feel more immediately and intensely connected to them somehow, just from the smell of the place. And THAT was exciting.
2- TOURED BY AN ACTUAL PHYSICIST.
Dr. Zhongliang Ren, who has been working at CERN since 1999, gave us an exceptional A 3.5 hour tour through the facility. Dr. Ren, who actually works on the Higgs experiments in the Atlas facility, was a wealth of information and was clearly quite passionate about his research. I was happy to see his enthusiasm mirrored in our students, who engaged with him and asked relevant questions (many of which helped my own comprehension).
3-ENGAGING EXHIBITIONS.
Multi-projector light shows across all surfaces in the Globe of Science and Innovation and in the Synchro-Cyclotron made the experience come alive in ways traditional exhibits can’t. It was mesmerizing and solidified my comprehension of concepts that had been fuzzy. (Start at 3:00 for Synchro-Cyclotron)
4-“WANDERING THE IMMEASURABLE” SCULPTURE.
In front of the Globe of Science and Innovation is the most elegant sculpture— a massive ribbon of metal chronologically inscribed with the major discoveries and innovations in science (and their authors) on one side and some of the most important formulas on the reverse. I spent almost an hour inspecting and admiring it. I could have spent much longer.
5-LIVE STATUS MONITORS EVERYWHERE.
Our tour led us through a number of actual office building and workspaces of CERN employees. We even sat with them in the cafeteria (another awesome part of the experience!). Mounted throughout those places were monitors displaying the conditions of numerous elements that need to be constantly aligned and calibrated for the collider system to work properly. During our visit, the collider, which takes 45 minutes to prepare for operation, was in the process of being warmed up for the start of an acceleration.
6- IT. IS. CRAZY. BIG.
Of course that is obvious when you read about CERN. But it is another thing all together to viscerally feel that immensity close up. A workforce of nearly 3,000 employees. The LHC’s cooling system requires ONE THIRD of all the helium found on the planet. The combined weight of the four detectors is a staggering 36,600 tons. The sheer amount of energy cycling through the LHC is dumbfounding. And the precision of this colossal piece of engineering is within 5 microns.
7- I’M GONNA BE ABLE TO TOUCH IT SOON.
In summer 2018 the Atlas facility will be shut down for two years for maintenance and upgrades. During that time, visitors will be allowed to go down the tunnel into the belly of the beast and see all its internal workings close up. I AM COUNTING THE DAYS.
8-MY DAD WORKS THERE.
Okay, he doesn’t. But his doppelganger does. When you enter the Atlas facility, the lobby is partitioned off in glass and behind the glass is the actual workspace of the engineers who run the facility. And sitting in the first seat was a man who looked and was dressed just like my father. I had to do a double take. See for yourself. Could be his twin, am I right?
The whole visit exceeded all expectations. I have so much more I could relate about the entire trip… It will take me some time indeed to come down from this high…