Open Days Guide: CERN, for a better life

At times, CERN research can seem rather “out there”. After all, how can this work possibly relate to daily life? So, let’s bring it back down to Earth with some real-life examples of CERN technology in action.

 

A treatment room at the Italian centre for hadron therapy (CNAO). Image: CNAO.

On the Open Days, visit these sites for a first-hand look at CERN’s important and innovative role in everyday technology:

- The Knowledge Transfer (KT) visit point, where you will be introduced to hadron therapy, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the Medicis project and Medipix. There, you will be able to see an immobilization mask, where patients are placed during hadron therapy treatment, as well as a “phantom” – a piece used to simulate the human body for radiobiology studies. (Map: A3).

- Pôle Energie: Technologies developed for CERN accelerators have been used to design and build a high-tech solar thermal collector. This technology is now industrially produced by a spin-off company and will be on display at the Pôle Energie site. (Map: D7).

- KT Talks: Over at Building 33, you’ll find around-the-clock talks. Accessible to the amateur, the aspiring and the practising physicist, these talks give a great overview of a variety of KT subjects. (Map: A2).

- The Crystal Laboratory: Used in the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter, scintillating crystals are crystals that emit light when particles pass through them. Experts at the lab will explain their use in particle physics, as well as their technological spin-offs for medical imaging. (Map: B3).

by CERN Bulletin