To celebrate the 60th anniversary of CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), the Palais de la découverte will host an exhibition that takes visitors to the heart of the most powerful particle accelerator in the world: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
Designed by the Science Museum in London, the exhibition tells the story of the incredible human adventure involved in the discovery of the Higgs Boson, which was achieved in 2012, thanks to the LHC. At the Palais de la découverte, visitors can take a tour of the CERN laboratories, explore the inside of the tunnel and share in the camaraderie of the scientists who are passionate about their research in nuclear physics.
The background story... to a great discovery
Just 50 years ago, three physicists – Robert Brout, François Englert and Peter Higgs – developed the hypothesis of the existence of an elementary particle which would explain why some particles have mass and others don’t. In 2013, two of them were awarded the Nobel prize for Physics for their work, particularly the discovery of the Higgs boson, which was sensational news in the world of scientific research.
Immerse yourself in the LHC and CERN
The Collider - LHC exhibition retraces the steps of the amazing human adventure involved in this great scientific discovery, offering a lifelike tour of the reconstructed laboratories and offices of CERN. This recreated space allows everyone to get a feel for the working environment of the physicists and to share in the excitement of research and discovery.
Visitors are directly immersed in the thrill and exhilaration of discovering the Higgs boson, through an audiovisual display on show in a small amphitheatre. You are then taken down the corridors of the large collider, with impressive objects that are representative of the inside of the LHC.
The models and photographs of the various elements that make up the LHC are surprisingly beautiful, just like the colourful and almost hypnotic spectacle that allows you to see the particle collisions from an artistic perspective.
This adaptation of the exhibition is specific to the Palais de la découverte, produced jointly with CEA, CNRS and CERN
At the Palais de la découverte, the original exhibition from the Science Museum in London has been enhanced with the presentation of 60 portraits of French scientists who have contributed or continue to contribute to the success of CERN.
There is also a device designed by CEA in Leap Motion on three 55-inch screens, to provide access for the public to CERN resources, from information on the LHC to the fundamentals of nuclear physics.
Presented for the first time in France, the exhibition is also an opportunity to highlight the work of French researchers, in collaboration with CERN and the LHC: CEA and CNRS have provided a display of collection pieces from national scientific laboratories.
Translated into French and English, the exhibition is accessible for persons with reduced mobility, as well as the blind and partially sighted. A guided tour of the Palais de la Découverte by scientific explainers is also available.
The Collider - LHC exhibition has a legitimate place in the Palais de la découverte which was founded by Jean Perrin, the Nobel prize-winner for Physics in 1937, and was historically guided by a tradition of making science publicly available in the field of physics. Hence the diverse range of exhibits already available at the Palais de la découverte adds a particular dimension to the displays surrounding the exhibition: «Superconductivity», «Einstein and cosmic rays», «Radioactivity», or even «Nuclear reactions, the neutron», an exhibition where the explainers carry out two experiments with a real particle accelerator.