WIREDGOV

Science outreach specialists from across the UK got fired up about fundamental physics at CERN.

More than 20 staff from science centres that deliver the successful Explore Your Universe (EYU) programme visited the globally renowned laboratory.

Last week’s two-day visit included tours of CERN’s data centre, Anti-Matter Factory and a trip 100 metres underground to see the CMS experiment in its full glory. The first hand experiences will help the staff bring the incredible science of CERN to life for children and families across the UK.

“The access we have had to this world of science, to see it in action, has been amazing,” said Thomas Wild of Aberdeen Science Centre, “and hearing about the everyday applications from the science that happens here is such a great way to get people engaged with it.”

The EYU programme, a partnership between the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Association of Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), has engaged more than 340,000 children, parents and teachers since 2012. It supports a range of activities including family science shows, schools sessions and meet the expert events, delivered by centres and universities across the UK.

James Summers, special projects manager at ASDC said: “Visits like this are so important because they give people who deliver Explore Your Universe that hands on experience which they can then share directly with their audiences. You cannot beat that personal experience for inspiring them, which in turn helps inspire the people who attend Explore Your Universe events.”

The Explore Your Universe programme is one of the many ways STFC is engaging and inspiring new audiences and the next generation of scientists and engineers.