The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has announced it will be opening its doors to the public this fall. On September 28 to 29, the organization’s installations, including the Large Hadron Collider, will be open for tourists and gawkers alike.
CERN has stated the days are part of an outreach for the organization to share its discoveries with a wider audience. The theme for the two days is “Our Universe is Yours,” and visitors will be shown the technology that has enabled discoveries such as the confirmation of the Higgs boson. CERN scientists and engineers will be oh-hand to explain their duties and the experiments that are run on the most advanced particle physics research equipment ever built.
CERN is expecting around 100,000 people to come and tour its facilities during those two days in September. Tickets for underground visits will be parsed out sparingly through an online ticket office, and shuttles will be made available car parks near CERN’s facilities on Franco–Swiss border.
Just before the public days at CERN, the organization will be holding a European Researchers’ Night event called “Origins 2013.” Researchers at CERN headquarters in Geneva, UNESCO headquarters in Paris, and in Bologna will describe their recent research findings, including several breakthroughs. The event will be streamed live on the Origins 2013 website.
The Large Hadron Collider recently reached the end of its first three-year running period. It has now been shut down for maintenance and upgrades that will allow it to run at higher energies. The supercollider is scheduled to be reactivated in 2015.