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Midsummer mysteries: Criminal masterminds? Not really…

In the summer, when offices are empty and the library is full of new faces, it may seem like a perfect opportunity to steal IT equipment. However, as we know, stealing never pays and thieves always get caught. Just like the person who stole several bikes parked in front of Reception… >>

Celebrating the first of a kind

It was on 7 and 8 October 1954 that the first meeting of the CERN Council took place, opened by Frenchman Robert Valeur, retiring Chairman of the interim Council that had overseen the establishment of CERN. On the day we celebrate that first meeting with a special Council Symposium, it’s interesting to look back at the meeting’s minutes.  >>

LS1 Report: Thank you magnetic horn!

Experiments at the Antimatter Decelerator (AD) have been receiving beams since the beginning of this week. There is a crucial element at the heart of the chain that prepares the antiproton beam: the so-called magnetic horn, a delicate piece of equipment that had to be refurbished during LS1 and that is now showing just how well it can perform. >>

CERN’s Challenge-Based Innovation course welcomes new students

What do you get when you mix students from around the world with detector technologies developed at CERN and ask them to solve societal problems? Welcome to the Challenge-Based Innovation course. >>

Make a 21st century phone call

Want to avoid roaming charges? Click to call anyone at CERN? How about merging your CERN landline with your existing smartphone? That's all easily done with Lync, CERN's new opt-in service that can take your calls to the next level. >>

Beam line for Schools: beyond expectations

Out of 292 proposals for CERN's first ever "Beam line for Schools" contest, two teams of high-school students – Odysseus' Comrades from Varvakios Pilot School in Athens, Greece and Dominicuscollege from Dominicus College in Nijmegen in the Netherlands – were selected to spend 10 days conducting their proposed experiments at the fully equipped T9 beam line on CERN's Meyrin site. Dedicated CERN staff and users from across the departments have put in a huge effort to ensure the success of the project. >>

Detecting radiation with your smartphone

The winners of the CERN EIROforum Prize in the European Union Competition for Young Scientists 2013 (EUCYS), Michał Gumiela and Rafał Tomasz Kozik from Poland, have just spent an exciting week exploring CERN from 1 to 5 September. The students visited several CERN experiments and facilities and had ample time to interact with scientists on how to improve their invention further. >>

A first-of-its-kind visit for 12 Algerian professors and students

The Cirta-Science competition is open to 51 high schools in the Constantine region of Algeria. This year the prize for the winners was a historic visit to see the place where the Higgs boson was discovered and meet scientists working at CERN, some of whom are from Algeria. >>

CAS Introduction to Accelerator Physics in the Czech Republic

The CERN Accelerator School (CAS) and the Czech Technical University in Prague jointly organised the Introduction to Accelerator Physics course in Prague, Czech Republic from 31 August to 12 September 2014. >>

Physics training in Senegal

The third biennial African School of Fundamental Physics and its Applications (ASP) took place in Dakar, Senegal, on 3-23 August. The students participating came from the highest number of African countries to date with nearly half of them women. >>

Behind the scenes of GS: Did you say “grey”?

Walking around the CERN site, what we tend to notice are the buildings, roads, and car parks. At first glance, any “green” seems to be in the minority. The reality is quite different, as developed land takes up only 40 of the almost 650 hectares made available to the Organization by its Host States. >>

Computer Security: “Conpherencing” - the new phishing

CERN is regularly the target of so-called “phishing” attacks, where troublemakers with bad intentions send fake emails to CERN people to try to lure them into disclosing their CERN passwords (or other passwords). Fortunately, few people nowadays fall into such traps. Simply remember to treat your password like your toothbrush: don’t share it and change it regularly (see our Bulletin article “What is a good toothbrush, erm, password?”). >>

Ombud's corner: I love you… but I do not

Unwanted declarations of love in the workplace may cause embarrassment among colleagues. If the situation is not quickly clarified, it might even cause a serious disturbance in the working relationship and have a long-lasting negative impact on the people involved. >>

Hervé Genoud (1982-2014)

On Monday 22 September, early morning, we received with enormous sadness a message that Hervé Genoud passed away after an eight-month battle with leukaemia at the age of just 32. >>

Official News

Administrative Circular No. 11 (Rev. 3) - Categories of members of the personnel  
Operational Circular No.2 (Rev. 2) - Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site  

Training and Development

It’s easy to learn good posture and correct movements at work!  
Technical Training: Make the most of Office, Sharepoint and Lync 2013  
Safety training: places available in September 2014  

Announcements

Survey of how staff commute to work  

Events

60th anniversary celebrations: events in the coming 10 days  
Women’s rugby tournament | 27 September  
Université de Genève | Physics Colloquium | 29 September  
Exhibition | CERN Micro Club | 1-30 September  
CERN Road Race | 1 October  

Staff Association

Public meetings  
Open letter to all Member State Delegates to CERN Finance Committee and CERN Council  
Exhibition  
Scuba club  
Cine club  
Martial arts club  
Interfon