The Large Hadron Collider’s (LHC) exhibition at the Senedd got visitors to walk through a model of the world’s largest scientific experiment.
The LHC 2015 roadshow was in Cardiff from the 18th to 22nd of October to showcase part of a life-sized duplicate of the world’s most potent particle accelerator.
According to Dr Sophy Palmer, the public engagement manager, “The LCH is exciting, but it is at the CERN, beneath the French-Swiss border. Obviously, I’s hard for everyone to go there, so we take the LDH to see everyone!”
The CERN, or European Organisation for Nuclear Research, is the world’s largest laboratory. With 22 member states and scientists from over 60 countries, it shows international teamwork will unlock the universe.
“The LHC roadshow wants to encourage young people with cutting edge science to change the world and be part of a global collaboration” said Dr Palmer, who was also one of the physicists guiding visitors through the mock-up.
Most were impressed by the model’s size. For Dr Palmer: “The Senedd is perfect to host the event. We’re in an enormous room, but this small portion of the LHC occupies a lot of space. It’s a huge project in more ways than one!”
Social Media was at the exhibition too and visitors using “#STFC_Matters” on Twitter could win a CERN goodie bag.
Discussing quark-gluon plasma and the Big Bang with @darrenprice at the #LHC roadshow in Cardiff @STFC_Matters pic.twitter.com/8v2LM881ao
— UoM Particle Physics (@UoMparticle) October 18, 2015
Guess who went to the CERN exhibition in the bay! @STFC_Matters #UKatCern pic.twitter.com/jG8B61wWUn
— Maria Mellor (@Maria_mellor) October 19, 2015
(Tweet cited with user permission)