A Lego version of ATLAS
There's nothing very unusual about a small child making simple objects out of Lego. But wouldn't you be surprised to learn that one six-year old has just made a life-like model of the ATLAS detector?
Bastian with his Lego ATLAS detector. © Photo provided by Kai Nicklas, Bastian's father.
It all began a month ago when the boy's father was watching a video about the construction of the ATLAS detector on the Internet. He hadn't noticed that his son was watching it over his shoulder. The small boy was fascinated by what he was seeing on the computer screen and his first reaction was to exclaim: "Wow! That's a terrific machine! I think the people who built it must be really clever." The detector must have really fired his imagination because, after asking his father a few questions, he decided to make a Lego model of it. Look at the photo and you will see how closely the model he produced resembles the actual ATLAS detector.
Is the little boy in question, Bastian, a budding physicist or engineer? Not really. Bastian is more interested in architecture and says that he's impressed by Gaudi's church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. "I don't know about many professions yet but I'd like to become an architect so that I can build big and beautiful things like that. I really like the shape of the ATLAS detector and it's amazing how they managed to assemble such a huge machine so deep down," he says. We wish him much success in his future career!
