CERN
Large Hadron Collider and the Birthplace of World Wide Web
Category Strange Science, Instruments of Science, Marvelous Maps and Measures
Tucked away in the peaceful Swiss countryside, deep underground under vineyards and gentle slopes of Jura mountains, lies the place which should have a special spot on the map of the world wide geekdom.
CERN complex, the main playground of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has multiple claims to glory.
Founded in 1954 to coordinate research efforts of 12 European countries, CERN is nowadays worlds largest (and arguably) most expensive physics lab, and a home to an array of impressive doomsday machinery including six accelerators and ominous Large Hedron Collider purported as a potential birthplace of the first man made black hole. (Though much has been made of the black hole it is important to remember that this "black hole" would be microscopic, pop in and out of existence and poses no danger to anyone, anywhere.)
CERN is the place where very fabric of time-space continuum is torn to pieces, examined and reassembled. Notable achievements of this scientific factory include the discovery of half a dozen exotic subatomic particles and other physics phenomena, for which at least two Nobel Prizes were awarded to CERN scientists.
However the CERN invention which has touched and altered the lives of the largest number of people is thankfully of quite a different nature. CERN laboratories are the birth place of World Wide Web, HTML markup language and HTTP protocol. 1989. Tim Berners-Lee at that time scientist at CERN conceived it as a method of communication between scientists working on different projects and remote locations. Once out of the bottle it changed our communication and media landscape forever. In fact, you are appreciating it right now!
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- Hours Mon - Sat 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Website CERN official web site
- Address European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, Geneva, CH-1211, Switzerland
No map available.
<strong>Travelling by Aeroplane</strong> Coming from the Geneva International Airport at Cointrin by bus Take the bus number 28 from outside the airport to Hôpital-La Tour (Meyrin). From Hôpital-La Tour take the number 56 bus to its terminus at the CERN entrance (ticket "Tout Genève" on the ticket machine). See Transports Publics Genevois web site for full details. Free public transport ticket for passengers arriving at Geneva Airport. <strong>Travelling by Train</strong> Coming from the Geneva railway station at Cornavin by bus Take the tram number 14 or 16 to Avanchet. From Avanchet take the number 56 bus marked to its terminus at the CERN entrance. Ticket costs 3.00CHF (ticket "Tout Genève" on the ticket machine). See Transport Publics Genevois web site for full details.
Comments
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I's a marketing ploy to get into the news, I tell you. They are chuckling there with joy whenever they read it in the news. I have also seen certain younger members of scientific staff there using it as a pickup line to impress girls in bars in Lausanne.
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Please, please, please, do not promote this nonsense that the LHC is going to create a black hole. Among the most theoretical of ideas of what could occur when LHC is up and running is that itsy-bitsy analogous likenesses of black holes could pop up, be too unstable to remain, and fizzle away. In order to create a real black hole, one would need to start with a more mass than what exists in our own sun. Since nowhere near that amount of mass exists on Earth, don't worry. We're all safe. LHC is more aimed at mashing subatomic particles together and hopefully getting at glimpse of dark energy and matter, perhaps new elements, etc. Particle accelerators have been functioning for years now, and we've all been fine.
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