“Draw me a physicist” exhibition opens

From 12 to 23 June, the Globe of Science and Innovation will be hosting the “Draw me a physicist” exhibition: over 160 drawings and definitions that illustrate how children see the world of research.

 

In a child’s imagination, scientists are colourful, slightly eccentric figures with unusual powers. This is what emerges from the exhibition on the second floor of the Globe of Science and Innovation, opening on 12 June. “Draw me a physicist” brings together 160 drawings and definitions by children about the profession of research scientist.

The exhibition is the result of a six-month project by CERN and 20 primary school classes from the Pays de Gex and the communes of Meyrin, Satigny and Vernier. Some 400 schoolchildren aged 9 to 11 were asked in class to make drawings and come up with definitions of a physicist. Subsequently they came to CERN, visited one of the Laboratory’s sites, and met and interviewed some physicists. They used the information garnered during the visit to make a second drawing and write a second definition. Each class or school then selected eight pairs of drawings for the exhibition in the Globe. All of the drawings will be displayed on the project’s website (from 12 June) and also projected on the Globe’s giant screen.

“It wasn't easy making the selection: the drawings are bursting with imagination and humour. But we had to make a choice, because there isn’t enough space to display them all,” explains Corinne Pralavorio, from CERN’s Communication Group. “The picture of the world of research that we get from the drawings and definitions is full of surprises. It's a mirror, giving us a compelling glimpse into how scientists are perceived.”

Two classes agreed to be photographed and filmed throughout the project: a fourth-grade class from Satigny-Village in Switzerland and a fifth-grade class (CM2) from the Bois d’Ornex school in France. The exhibition will include four films and photographic material from these groups.

by CERN Bulletin