The common adage claims that “a picture speaks a thousand words”, and indubitably, pictures can convey details of our experiences which would otherwise require a mountain of words to express. Yet it is also true that actions speak volumes, and indeed it would take volumes do justice to the experiences we gain from said actions. As such, I would like to preface this short reflection with a message to you, the reader. Treasure this experience, for you can gain more from the trip itself than any video, poster or write up about it.
Our visit to CERN may not have been the first for the C.N. Yang Scholars Programme, but it was definitely the first for those of us who visited the research institute in 2018. For me personally, it was the first time I had visited Switzerland, or even been to Europe.
As such, the first thing that struck me was how different the city itself was, as well as the lives of those who lived in them. As the plane approached the airport, I saw no signs that CERN, housing technology on the level to uncover the mysteries of our universe, was located nearby. Rather, the first sight that greeted us as the plane descended for landing were large expanses of farmland, occupied by grazing cattle and sheep. Despite being the 2nd most populous city in Switzerland, the buildings in Geneva were sparse towards the border to France where CERN was located, and still no more than a few stories high in the heart of the city. When we left the compound in search of food at 5pm, the nearest mall was already closed, leaving us no choice but to procure our dinner at McDonalds. Yet even the familiar fast food chain was as we had expected, with prices much higher than what we would expect back home and a different assortment of foods on the menu.
In fact, the food in Switzerland remained foreign to me even as the days passed. We attempted cooking with local ingredients, trying out exotic foods such as raw beef tartar and horse meat. While I had my fill of strange flavours in Switzerland, the experience also led me to appreciate what we have back at home more.
Nevertheless, this picture tells a story of a rainy day and dampend spirits, brightened by the warmth of the locals. Not once, but twice were we offered excellent service and even food served on the house.
Of course, the trip was not all about eating; we attended lectures and more imporantly tours of the facilites in CERN. From the smaller sized particle accelerators, to the very first one used in CERN, we got to see the supporting infrastruture and learn of their histories. The scale of these smaller accelerators and the other systems which play a large role in CERN are sometimes overlooked as we attempt to share the larger picture.
On that note, simply by being there we got to experience many things, ranging from hands-on experiments, parts of CERN not highlighted by the exhibits, or even exhibits out shined by the more major parts of CERN. Nearby the cafeteria was a small solar powered fountain, meant to allow passers-by to interactively discover the effect of shade and light intensity, sun tracking in a simple non-descript display. Being nothing particularly ground-breaking, naturally it is an unknown exhibit in the compound, yet therein lies its beauty. The solar-powered fountain was one of my favourites for it was an unknown interactive exhibit, hidden in plain sight. The discovery of the fountain and interactivity of it reminded me of the joys of discovery in science and that CERN not only looks towards the frontiers in particle physics, but also exists to spread an interest in science. Similarly, we discovered a small science museum which was unfortunately closed, but also contained a number of interactive exhibits out in the open which I had a wonderful time at.
Finally, I would like to end off with one of my favourite locations we visited in Geneva, the junction as it is called. The journey there, scenery at the peak, trip back and contrast in the junction of both rivers each has a number of stories to tell, emphasizing that even pictures, said to speak a thousand words is nothing compared to the experience of doing something in person.
The Science of Art and Beauty: How Ways of Seeing Inspires Ideas
BY WAN XIU WEN JEANNETTE
One idea struck a chord in me during this educational trip: to truly inspire, science must not just be “interdisciplinary” in our typical understanding of the term (i.e. a mixture of the sciences and engineering), but must touch the realm of the arts through its conception to its delivery. We must appreciate the importance of design in affecting the way we see, and ultimately manipulating how we think of things. From designing of experiments, to methods of displaying results – ways of seeing (framing) data and concepts are key to understanding it. Arguably then, a penchant for incorporating artistry in scientific work can lead to breakthroughs in science.
No place illustrates this idea better than in Qualcomm Institute (QI), a place where interdisciplinary teams in UC San Diego are brought together “to come up with innovative technology solutions to large-scale challenges facing society in the 21st century” [1]. The synergy of science and art displayed in QI can be described as such: both the visualization, and manipulation of how we visualize data and information using art and design.
We sat under a sprawling 5-million-megapixel wall and were introduced to the myriad of research programs QI is involved in. There was a mosaic of a 100 brains of schizophrenia sufferers; the cerebellum of a rat’s brain pieced together by segmented photography that made neurons visible to the naked eye; Da Vinci’s work stripped down to expose the initial charcoal sketches; 140 panorama photos taken by the Mars Spirit rover pieced together to reveal salt tracks unraveled by the rover’s faulty wheels. The message was clear: the importance of data visualization and using technology to visually explain a complex theory or system.
To augment their work, QI also collaborates with “Digital Artists”. They visualize and imagine dystopias and utopias, to make scientists uncomfortable, pushing them to think further. Lev Manovich, a professor in computer media is one such artist. In his work “Style Space: What we are learning about cultural variability and categories by studying 1,000,000 Manga pages”, he organized 1 million manga pages in terms of their visual properties (Figure 1) to produce a map of cultural evolution. Distinctly, there is a region in the top right of the map that remains unpopulated – almost like a creative ceiling in the manga universe. Such innovative visualization of data can provide glimpses and insights otherwise untapped.
Figure 1: 1,000,000 scanned Manga pages organized by visual properties [2]
Elaborating on ways of seeing, there remains an aspect of seeing that resides in the realm of the internal, outside of human design aesthetics: our personal biases. Bias steers how we unravel information and form ideas. In Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), we spent three days learning about the intricacies of gravitational wave science – a new window into the universe. We were brought on a journey through the mysteries and theories of the vast universe, learning about the Big Bang, neutron stars, binary compact mergers and more. I was impressed by how generations of physicists have looked up into the skies (or cooped themselves up in a room) and strung together grand theories of nature: its motion and creation. But this awe naturally led to some simple questions:
How did they come up with these ideas? What in their brains allowed them to stumble upon the thoughts of the gods? How could these theories be discovered through mere “armchair speculation”?
A possible clue that stuck in my mind was when Dr. Alan J. Weinstein at LIGO, mentioned this: “We like beautiful theories” – often we are biased in our pursuit of truth, by the pursuit of beauty. As Keat famously asked: is beauty truth? And is truth beauty? Beauty, in physics, often refers to elegant equations that, though appearing simple, can be used to underlie/explain countless phenomena. Perhaps, in our design, we have each been in-built with this as a key to unravelling the mysteries of this universe. And it seems that some (select few brilliant scientific minds) have been blessed with the tendency to doggedly pursue this proclaimed beauty, which can lead to speculations like Einstein’s Field Theory that has since been repeatedly supported by experimentalists to hold timeless.
However, this link between beauty and truth becomes muddled, and can often be unreliable. How to navigate this distinction, can be best described in this quote by Phillip Ball, a famous scientific writer:
“Anything that inspires scientific thinking is valuable, and if a quest for beauty – a notion of beauty peculiar to science, removed from art – does that, then bring it on. And if it gives them a language in which to converse with artists, rather than standing on soapboxes and trading magisterial insults like C P Snow and F R Leavis, all the better. I just wish they could be a bit more upfront about the fact that they are (as is their wont) torturing a poor, fuzzy, everyday word to make it fit their own requirements. I would be rather thrilled if the artist, rather than accepting this unified pursuit of beauty (as Ian McEwan did), were to say instead: ‘No, we’re not even on the same page. This beauty of yours means nothing to me.’ [3]
Finding beauty in the symmetry of the universe can lead to good theories. Yet, we must never forget the importance of the scientific method and the hard, often under-appreciated work of experimentalists in testing such speculations. The work at LIGO is the tireless work of hundreds of brilliant minds to test Einstein’s prediction of gravitational waves, and cannot be discounted. According to Alan, the harsh truth is that “proving Einstein right can’t win you a Nobel Prize, but proving Einstein wrong can” – yet, one wonders whether without the hundreds upon thousands of experimentalists and theorists that have contributed to further corroborating and expanding (respectively) Einstein’s work, that he would have instead left a legacy as a raving lunatic, his ideas lost to skepticism.
Ultimately, this trip has showed me the importance of the tension between science and art: how its marriage can give birth to new ideas, but also how we must remained rooted in the scientific method when thus inspired.
[1] Qualcomm Institute (n.a.). Qualcomm Institute FAQs. Retrieved from http://qi.ucsd.edu/faqs.php.
[2] Manovich, L., Douglass, J., & Huber, W. (2011). Understanding scanlation: how to read one million fan-translated manga pages. Image & Narrative, 12(1), 206-228.
[/slider][fusion_text]Earlier in May this year, a group of CN Yang Scholars had the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. They attended lectures and discussion sessions with Professors in CERN and toured some of the research facilities over there. They also toured parts of Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein and Germany as part of the leisure itinerary. All four members of the CN Yang Press & Publicity team went on the trip and here we present an account of the trip in each of our different perspectives.
[/fusion_text][fusion_tabs design=”clean” layout=”horizontal” justified=”yes” backgroundcolor=”” inactivecolor=”” bordercolor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_tab title=”Jodie’s Perspective” icon=””]Follow the white Rabbit. Take the Red Pill. See the depth of the rabbit hole. Revel in Wonderland.
…And if I could have a wish, may it be that we could come once again, this time with our minds brimming with deeper questions, our perspectives broader than before, our hands itchier than a child’s. Of those who have already decided to return, I can already make a list.
This account of our CN Yang students’ trip to CERN is simple. My last intention would be to confuse, I assure you, but in the midst of quirky quark names, pulverising proton beams, not to mention chewy (and indeterminate amounts of) cheesy cuisines, I hope not to lose you.
Particle physics is not my forte, but giving it a go was one of the most intriguing experiences I had done. While it is easy to brush aside the (probably) irrelevant little muons and gluons to biomedical engineering, who knew it could be so relevant… and so much fun. And before you brush me off as the nerdy anomaly, I’ll have you know I was surrounded by passionate physicists, mathematicians, and all forms of engineering prowess. While asking excessive questions might be a student’s occupational hazard, but the blizzard of questions we geared towards the researchers, professors and engineers who guided our tours, was a force of nature to be reckoned with, so much so that many of our questions were still left unanswered at the end.
Inside the CMS facility
I can never quite express the place of friends, but here I shall do my best to do justice to their eternally appreciated presence. Navigating the counter-intuitive galaxy of teeny tiny particles together, I learnt more than I imagined I would, and the pleasant surprise came when at the end, we were not only able to speak CERN’s language but also make jokes of it at the dinner table.
Additionally, meeting professionals of all occupations in CERN was an eye-opening experience. Be they engineers or scientists, willy wonkas or oompa lumpas, their parts to play in the entire research facility was entangled and indifferentiable. Nonetheless, their relationship is both competitive and collaborative, and the way each holds the other in regard is very interesting to see.
If anything, Cern left my mind boggled and thoroughly concerned, wondering if we would even find some answers to our questions in this generation. Perhaps it is not a matter of if, but when, and when we discover something even more ground breaking than the Higg’s boson, what will we do with the knowledge? Typical, we left with more questions than answers, yet we had felt more satisfied than before we arrived, and fat with new ideas and 3.50 francs quiches. Finally, for the clichéd quote to end the dilemma of the infamous last paragraph: Sometimes we have to get lost, perhaps drift for a bit in a universe unparalleled to all we have known and understood, that we will find ourselves. Add to that equation some unbearably nerdy jokes and a beautiful country, and if (when) you join us, at that time, I hope to lose you too.
Jodie Tan
[/fusion_tab][fusion_tab title=”Jia Xuan’s Perspective” icon=””]Follow the white rabbit. Take the red pill. See the depth of the rabbit hole. Revel in Wonderland.
“You take the red pill: you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – Morpheus, The Matrix.
Last June, about 40 of us students managed to catch a glimpse of the physics wonderland, travelling deep underground to visit the many facilities of CERN to learn and understand more about the mysteries of particle physics and the origins of the universe. While the experience was brief, the imagery lingers on in our minds. It was exciting to listen to the complicated but intriguing ideas that the researchers and engineers there presented to us. We also had the opportunity to have a taste of a researcher’s life, often quite literally at the cafeteria which served a variety of delicious food for the hardworking individuals working in CERN. Furthermore, we had a good opportunity to tour the beautiful city of Geneva, which was a mere 20 minute’s tram ride from the facility of CERN to its city centre. However, this reflection would focus more on the sights of the research laboratories in CERN, which would be of a different perspective from the other writers.
Initially, I expected the outer appearance of CERN to be grand and magnificent, due to the publicity it garnered as the forefront of physics research and the futuristic photos of the facilities, like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). However, the facility actually looked spartan and simple. It had small aged buildings scattered around the vicinity, with many winding roads, parking lots, trees and large plots of lush green grass, reminiscent to an army camp found in Singapore. From a distance, large power cables passed through the quaint area. It turned out that most of the complex machinery featured in news articles were actually found deep underground, and some of them were out of bounds to visitors. Nevertheless, we still had the opportunity to learn about these facilities from the researchers or engineers themselves.
Inside the ASACUSA facility.
The inner facilities at CERN looked pretty daunting to me, as I marvelled at how the researchers and engineers could use such complex machinery and electrical setups to run an experiment that tested out new ideas in quantum physics. One of the experiment labs, the ASACUSA (Antiproton Decelerator), looked like a normal industrial workplace. There were winding pipes running overhead along the tall ceilings, and brightly painted platforms that seemed to be moveable. Tall boxes of electrical circuits, or server units, stood proudly around the facility, with haphazard, multi-coloured wires hanging around and linking to other units. One wondered what the significance of each tiny piece of wire was in such a monumental project. Tall railings stood to restrict access to these working areas or to prevent absent minded individuals from dropping from a great height. A long table was seen on the basement level, with many small items and a few pieces of paper scattered randomly around it. The scene looked like one from a typical Hollywood movie, where the scientists worked in a messy but sophisticated lab, working on the next big thing, except that all this was reality, something that older scientists like Einstein or Rutherford could never have imagined in their lifetimes.
The research of another project, CLOUD, was not underground but located in one of the buildings. The facility looked like a large warehouse with many concrete blocks stacked neatly (to block off the radiation) and metal staircases lying around, and there was a large cylinder at the centre of it all, which looked like it was wrapped with a layer of aluminium foil. Large metal pipes connected the cylinder to other complex machines. A female researcher stood beside the cylinder, monitoring the equipment and staring intensely at the computer screen, probably waiting for her moment of eureka to arrive.
An actual part of the tracker used in the ATLAS
At another facility, the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), we were getting used to the sight of large computer servers with complicated wiring, the edges of which were painted bright blue. There were huge silver pipes running along the corners and the ceiling, and many warning signs that signalled all types of danger, be it radiation, flammability or just a no-entry sign. This time, we were also treated with many posters and pictures of the machinery, along with tiny Lego-like models that explained to us the individual parts of the solenoid itself, which partially compensated the disappointment that we could not see the huge solenoid itself. We also passed through computer labs with many LCD displays showing all types of graphs and images with experimental information, and witnessed the computer geniuses hard at work looking at these screens, deep in thought, and the next moment typing furiously on their desktops. This was one of the scenes etched in my mind, because it was very similar to those shown in movies, and also the fact that I could see the passion in these researchers, who were so focused and hardworking on their desks.
To me, the entire underground facility of CERN felt like a deep labyrinth, the compound was large and full of visual delights, and our brains were always trying our best to comprehend the infinitely large number of photons entering our eyes at any point of time. There are still many vivid images stuck in my head, more than what I could include here, but now only memories remain of the fast paced visit, since time and tide wait for no one, except if you are a particle whizzing through the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) close to the speed of light. Even so, all of us will definitely treasure and remember these particular moments of space and time, where we took the red pill and collectively entered the same geographical coordinates in our own frames of life to tour the deep and mysterious rabbit quantum hole of particle physics together.
Koh Jia Xuan
[/fusion_tab][fusion_tab title=”Meldon’s Perspective” icon=””]Follow the white Rabbit. Take the Red Pill. See the depth of the rabbit hole. Revel in Wonderland.
…and down we went. What started simply as a name tossed out nonchalantly, had bloomed into a full-fledged trip that was set to bring us to the one of the biggest scientific institutes we have seen: CERN. Incredible as it may sound, to travel there to receive lectures, tours and even discuss with existing faculty, what was even more incredible was the amount of knowledge we were faced with as we dived nose-first into the world of particle physics. What I was left with was a flat face against a concrete floor.
View of the underground tunnel of the LHC. Note: This is just a poster
I was astounded by the myriad of terms that scurried all over the page, as I tirelessly chipped away at what was clearly a solid, marble slab of knowledge. Too much, it felt like too much. What seemed at first to be yet another chapter of science, had me standing at the Doors of Truth, struggling to speak the language to gain entrance. I was lost and was falling ever further down, deeper and deeper. Slowly piecing together the parts of the puzzle that lay within my grasp, I could vaguely make out the shape of what it was I seeked. And then epiphany. I can never truly say I saw it for what it truly was, but I managed to get a handhold. I could finally make some semblance of sense out of it.
As exaggerated as it may sound, this was truly my experience as I trudged through wikipedia pages, articles, sometimes even the dreaded journals to make sense of what it was I hoped to learn from CERN. And there I saw the depths that this would go, the amount of mental gymnastics it would require and I marvelled at the capabilities of those daring enough to work on it.
But as I surveyed it all, I realised that even though I was just scratching the surface, I had gained a wealth of knowledge that would never leave me; a new perspective to view the world and that was all worth the effort.
But, scientific knowledge is not the only thing I gained on this trip. I fear that I may have gained some weight in the process. In between mental exercises that threatened to destroy my brain, were hearty meals consisting of generous servings of cheese, potatoes and pastries. As concepts assailed my mind, I found comfort in the warmth and flavor of the food, richness never tasted before.
Hopefully, the amount of walking during the trip managed to work the weight off. Even during our 4 days in CERN, evening times were free for little adventures around Geneva, be it travelling to parks in the city centre, simple grocery shopping or even wandering to the neighbouring farms to marvel at the expanse of empty fields. To match our voracious wanderlust, our tour that came swiftly after brought us across the borders of Switzerland, to Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany.
Stopping for only a day or two at each location may not have been optimal for really soaking in what the town or city could really offer, but it was sufficient as the number of locations visited added variety to the landscapes that we saw. Venturing through the region brought us to quaint little valley towns, hiking adventures to the top of ancient castles and climbing up the tallest church tower we could find, all to gain a better vantage point. As we wandered through towns, the obvious tourist bent in certain areas of town was obvious and it was mildly amusing, albeit a little frightening too, that the town could feel so different as you ventured out of these ‘tourist zones’. Away from the hustle and bustle of tourists swarming souvenir stores, the town was quiet, eerily serene, with the occasional villager strolling along the streets. Moments like these, had us feeling tense and wary, senses all on high alert. Like sheep that had wandered from the herd, we felt suddenly alone. Maybe we had travelled too far out, and we noted our distance from comfort. Or maybe we realised how far off we may have gone from the beaten track (not very far to be honest). But it was then that I had a thought, if I kept on walking forward, what would I see, what would I feel, do I dare to venture farther to glimpse the depth of this adventure?
Well, only if you would come along with me…
Meldon Wee
[/fusion_tab][fusion_tab title=”Melvin’s Perspective” icon=””]Follow the white Rabbit. Take the Red Pill. See the depth of the rabbit hole. Revel in Wonderland.
As a Physics Major, I have read numerous articles and stories about CERN and their discoveries, including the recent confirmed finding of the Higgs boson. When CERN was announced to be one of our destinations for the overseas learning trip, I signed up for it immediately. Prior to our departure, however, we were tasked to read up on particle physics and its applications, and share our findings with the rest of our peers. Without much prior knowledge in the relevant field, we struggled to grapple with the scientific jargon and concepts. Wikipedia became our vade mecum, and would always be on our laptop screens during group discussions and meetings. Reading up on CERN and their facilities helped to build interest in particle physics, and many of us were genuinely eager to embark on this trip.
The fields in CERN. The downsized model of the pipes used in the underground LHC bears CERN’s motto: “Accelerating Science” or “Accélérateur de science” in French.
Being at CERN itself was an entirely different experience. Bombarded by mind boggling yet interesting concepts and topics such as “quantum chromodynamics, dark energy and matter, string theory…” left me thoroughly confused yet excited. Physics had much more potential than previously assumed, and we were thrilled to be a part of it.
While numerous pictures of the various facilities in CERN were available on the Internet, these were a far cry from what we witnessed first-hand. From the immensely powerful multipole magnets to the transport equipment, every structure was engineered to a scale so massive that it was unimaginable.
Our departure from CERN took us through Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein and Germany as part of our leisure itinerary. We found ourselves clutching onto our cameras as we sped through the picturesque landscapes and architecture along the streets and highways of Europe. Mountains, meadows and rivers were aplenty, a far cry from the concrete jungle back home. Whilst in Interlaken, we boarded a train and travelled 3466 metres above sea level, taking in the wondrous sights of Jungfraujoch. I vividly remember our squeals of excitement as many of us were seeing snow for the first time, and the images of mountains cast in white were distant fairy tales brought to life. Jungfraujoch was but one of the many attractions we visited. From the Jet d’eau in Geneva to the Glockenspiel in Munich, we managed to venture through the streets on our own while relying on maps for directions. The food, sights, and sounds of Europe left us breathless and I have thoroughly enjoyed every part of the trip.
The CN Yang Scholars’ Club (CNYSC) is set up and run by the scholars of the CN Yang Scholars Programme. The management committee is elected by the scholars on an annual basis.
