30/04/2013

Hadron Collider Comes To Belfast

The world's largest scientific experiment, the Large Hadron Collider, is coming to Belfast.

A week-long exhibition, beginning this May bank holiday, will feature a lecture from Physicist Professor Peter Higgs, the man behind the Higgs Boson, and Queen’s graduate Dr Steve Myers, who is Director for Accelerators and Technology at CERN, the organisation that built and operates the LHC in Switzerland.

The visit is part of a week-long public exhibition hosted by Queen’s University, Belfast.

Members of the public will get the chance to walk through a full-size replica of a section of the LHC tunnel and meet physicists involved in answering some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.

The LHC was built to re-create the conditions which existed just after the Big Bang, in order to get closer to some of the mysteries behind the creation of the universe.

Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Myers said: "As a Queen’s graduate I’m delighted to return to the University for such a special event.  For many people it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the real life application of physics and science in such a setting.

"Queen’s is one of the UK’s leading research universities and it gave me the skillset, foundation and opportunity to go on and become a key part of the world’s largest science experiment, so I am honoured not only to return but to also share the platform with Professor Peter Higgs."

(IT/CD)

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