CERN: WWW Birthplace & World's Largest Machine
CERN is the birthplace of the internet, the WorldWideWeb project and the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson 'God' particle by using the largest machine ever built by mankind, the LHC or large hadron collider.
- What: CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Why: Birthplace of the WorldWideWeb and world's largest machine
- Where: Espl. des Particules 1, 1217 Meyrin, Switzerland [Map]
- Price: FREE (reservations only, very limited)
- When: Mon-Sat @ 11:00am until 3:00pm (details)
- Tips: It is not unusual that available places on guided tours for individuals are filled within seconds everyday at 08:30 a.m. CET
Visiting CERN in Geneva, Switzerland has been one of my biggest dreams the past decade thus I was extremely pleased being able to obtain a couple of rare tickets for a private tour at the facility. Click here to reserve tickets, but remember, the timeslot you may be able to obtain a ticket is often between 2:30am and 2:32am EST thus very tight.
CERN runs the largest particle physics laboratory in the world covering 200 hectares, almost 5 times the size of central park in new york definitely worth a visit when you are in the area and these are my 4 reasons.
After obtaining the passes, our guide toured us around the facility briefly explaining the purpose and functionalities of the specific buildings. We even entered the ATLAS particle detector building where we were able to observe the science team monitor the system stats on giant projector screens.
The second facility had a historic machine called the synchro-cyclotron where the first particles were detected back in the 1950's.
Important! Once the tour finished, we were considering leaving the sight, than we discovered an entire museum in the basement of the visitor center which was never brought to our attention. Make sure to not miss out while visiting. You do NOT need a reservation for the museum.
Four reasons for visiting CERN
- LHC or Large Hadron Collider is a giant 27-kilometer underground loop full of super-cooled magnets, thirty-foot particle detectors, and miles of accelerator tubesthis $9 billion collider complex is buried at a depth of up to 175 meters.
- CERN is the birth place of the World Wide Web, basically the internet as we all know it today as my CERN t-shirt here shows the blueprint of the internet. In 1989, under the guidance of Tim Berners-Lee, CERN began the World Wide Web project, which led to the first webpage in history on August 6, 1991.
- My third reason for visiting CERN the recent discovery of the GOD particle in 2013 known as the Higgs Boson which helps us understand the universe even better.
- My last reason for visiting CERN; the creepiness. Some people & scientists are worried the LHC will suck our entire galaxy into a black-hole or open a doorway to another dimension, hopefully not like the one in Event Horizon.
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