Our Sixth Form physicists recently returned from an incredible trip to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN, the birthplace of the World Wide Web and home to the world's most powerful particle accelerators. This was a unique opportunity for the students to witness cutting-edge science in action.

The trip kicked off with a fascinating guided tour of the CERN campus. The students were awestruck by the sheer scale of the operation, including a visit to the central hub of activity: the CERN Control Centre. The adventure then took them across the border into France to see one of the massive experiments, ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment). ALICE is a massive detector designed to study heavy-ion collisions, helping scientists investigate the properties of the early universe and search for new, exotic particles. Witnessing this vital piece of equipment up close gave the students a real sense of the colossal engineering required for fundamental physics research.

The second day blended science exploration with a taste of Swiss culture. The group spent the morning diving into the interactive exhibitions at the CERN Museum, which provided fantastic context for the experiments they had seen the day before. In the afternoon, they moved on to explore the beautiful city of Geneva. The students enjoyed strolling through the historic old town and seeing the impressive St. Pierre Cathedral. The trip was a brilliant success and gave the students invaluable insight into the world of particle physics and international collaboration.