Some 75,000 members of the public took part in the CERN Open Days on 14 and 15 September. Bathed in autumn sunshine, the lab offered visitors of all ages the opportunity to visit its underground and surface facilities, discover new technologies and engage with 150 activities at nine sites. Around 3000 staff and user volunteers, resplendent in bright-orange T-shirts, brought CERN’s science and engineering to life. Here are a sample of shots and a smattering of visitor reactions captured by the Courier during CERN’s biggest outreach event since the last Open Days in 2013.
“It’s a huge place full of ideas to try in case something revolutionary turns up.”
“There is high-tech science going on. You’re trying to make applications to real life, such as non-destructive testing.”
“We’re not here for the science, we’re here for the machines!”
“I thought it was all about programming, but you actually build things.”
“CERN is here to test out how particles behave and exploring the limit of the universe, like matter (which we know) and antimatter (which we don’t).”
“If you understand materials and energy at the basic scale, you have a better chance of creating new energy sources and materials for the future.”
“I read an article recently that said this was all a waste of taxpayers’ money, but now I am less sure because I have seen today that there are a lot of applications.”
