The future of modern science at their fingertips: Annual Physics Department trip to CERN

A truly inspiring visit to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), gave students from the Physics Department a unique opportunity to see exactly where their classroom study of particle physics translates into real-world scientific challenges.

30 Year 12 students visited CERN, home to the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, which has facilitated groundbreaking discoveries such as the Higgs boson. It offered a glimpse into the future of modern science, where students may one day help answer the universe’s ultimate questions, such as why matter outweighs antimatter and what fundamental rules govern our existence.

As well as exploring Geneva, students visited the Swiss Plasma Center, a global leader in fusion research and plasma applications. The centre hosts a Tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) and is one of only four major fusion research facilities in Europe. The students were treated to a series of fascinating talks and a guided tour, where they were able to get up close to the actual fusion reactor, a massive highlight for budding physicists.

Following formal tours around the antimatter factory and the linear accelerator building, students were incredibly fortunate to meet two PhD students from Imperial College London. Speaking to the group about their personal academic journeys, they shared what it is really like to live and work at CERN, which was followed by an open Q&A session where students asked some fantastic, insightful questions.

The CERN trip remains a standout event in the physics calendar, providing students with a rare opportunity to explore how they can shape the future of science.