BY LINA, YI SHIUAN AND ZHENG HAO
Lina:
The trip has been one of my most memorable experiences this year! To be able to visit CERN, learn from knowledgeable lecturers, and look at all the different aspects of CERN that work together in the name of science is something that I’m extremely grateful for. Particularly, going down to see the Compact Muon Solenoid of the Large Hadron Collider was really breathtaking in its own way! It’s amazing to see theory in practice, and to see this massive structure that’s been critical in scientific development is pretty cool. It’s one of those experiences that rarely come along, and I’m happy to have had it. 🙂
Yi Shiuan:
My 9-day overseas trip to Geneva, Switzerland over the summer break of 2019 was certainly one of the most unforgettable ones I’ve had. This trip was primarily centered around CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), which is renowned for being one of the world’s prominent research facility with never-ending novel discoveries which push the frontiers of not just particle physics but any field of science imaginable. One of the highlights of our CERN trip was certainly being able to physically visit two detectors of the large hadron collider, ATLAS and CMS. Just being at the site of where groundbreaking discoveries such as the discovery of the Higgs boson were made was such a surreal experience. It made us really experience first hand what a scientific marvel this facility was. But beyond just particle physics, we got to see other departments such as the data centre (where we got to know of how the World Wide Web was founded in CERN), which really highlighted to me how multi-disciplinary CERN as a whole is. The functioning of the whole institute thrives on the expertise of professionals from the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering etc., and the collaborative effort from these fields is what makes CERN so outstanding in its research pursuits.
Beyond just the CERN experience, my trip also involved sightseeing and cultural appreciation of Geneva, which was such a breath-taking experience. Through our museum and factory visits, shopping sprees, mountain climbs and so much more, we got to have a glimpse into the local flavour and the beauty of nature which we are unable to experience in Singapore. Overall, this trip was both a great learning experience and a breath of fresh air in terms of my knowledge as a global citizen. It was certainly an extremely memorable one that I will not easily forget.
Zheng Hao:
This is a picture of the Globe of Science and Innovation. It is 27 m high and 40 m in diameter, and symbolizes the Earth and CERN serving science and innovation. The Globe is a landmark for CERN visitors and it houses the “Universe of Particles” exhibition, which introduces visitors to the world of particle physics and showcases CERN’s research in particle physics, the technology CERN developed, the scientific apparatus they use, and the stories of the people who work at CERN. We had a wonderful time exploring the exhibition and were absolutely impressed by the exhibits.
In the background, to the left of the Globe, stands the flags of the European nations involved in CERN. It reminds us that great science often results from collaboration, not isolation.