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Angels, Demons and Black Holes: Threat or Opportunity? Experience from CERN through the start-up of the LHC James Gillies, CERN Erice, 10 May 2010. What does the world know about particle physics?. Methodology. So allow me to explain…. Methodology. The fastest racetrack on the planet….
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Angels, Demons and Black Holes: Threat or Opportunity? Experience from CERN through the start-up of the LHC James Gillies, CERN Erice, 10 May 2010
What does the world know about particle physics? Methodology
So allow me to explain… Methodology
The fastest racetrack on the planet… Methodology Trillions of protons race around the 27km ring in opposite directions over 11,000 times a second, travelling at 99.9999991 per cent the speed of light.
The emptiest space in the solar system… Methodology To accelerate protons to almost the speed of light requires a vacuum as empty as interplanetary space.
Methodology One of the coldest places in the universe… With an operating temperature of about -271 degrees Celsius, just 1.9 degrees above absolute zero, the LHC is colder than outer space.
The hottest spots in the galaxy… Methodology When two beams of protons collide, they will generate temperatures 1000 million times hotter than the heart of the sun, but in a minuscule space.
The biggest most sophisticated detectors ever built… Methodology To sample and record the debris from up to 600 million proton collisions per second, scientists are building gargantuan devices that measure particles with micron precision.
The most extensive computer system in the world… Methodology To analyse the data, tens of thousands of computers around the world are being harnessed in the Grid. The laboratory that gave the world the web, is now taking distributed computing a big step further.
Why? Methodology
To push back the frontiers of knowledge… Methodology Newton’s unfinished business… what is mass? Science’s little embarrassment… what is 96% of the Universe made of? Nature’s favouritism… why is there no more antimatter? The secrets of the Big Bang… what was it like in the first second of the Universe’s life? More than meets the eye… are there extra dimensions of space?
To develop new technologies… Methodology Information technology - the Web and the Grid Medicine - diagnosis and therapy Security - scanning technologies for harbours and airports Vacuum - new techniques for flat screen displays or solar energy devices
To unite people from different countries and cultures… Methodology 20 Member states 40 Countries with cooperation agreements 100 Nationalities 10000 People
To train the scientists and engineers of tomorrow… Methodology From visits for schools, through to professional schools in physics, accelerator science and IT, CERN plays a valuable role in building enthusiasm for science and providing formal training..
Communicating the LHC?We made the most of whatever came our way Methodology
It was time for CERN to act! Should we ignore it? Should we fight it? Should we seize the opportunity?
True or false? CERN has a space plane. ✗ CERN makes antimatter. ✓ Georges Charpak plays frisbee. ✗ Antimatter could solve the energy crisis. ✗ Antimatter is used in PET scanners. ✓ PET scanners are developed at CERN. ✓
We did tie-ins with the launch, and we’re on the BluRay disk
Even Earth-eating black holes? Methodology
They’ve always been there.. Year Machine Web Hype 1989 LEP None None 1999 RHIC Web 1.0 Little 2008 LHC Web 2.0 Lots
…at least at first. 50/50
Would we do the same again? CERN in fiction… CERN in fiction dressed up as fact… Both helped us get sell our story. With hindsight, we’d have treated them in the same way.
Meanwhile, back at the lab… Methodology
Methodology CERN LHC Communication Plan DRAFT 1, 15 January 2005: The aim of this plan is to gain maximum benefit in terms of public image for CERN and particle physics world-wide through the unique communications opportunity presented by the start-up of the LHC in 2007, and first results coming in some months later. It is a three-year plan starting in 2006. The start up of the LHC provides a unique opportunity to promote these messages, and in addition to position the LHC as a European success story and a global endeavour. It also gives us the opportunity to position fundamental science as a long-range force for innovation through each of CERN’s four missions - research and discovery; training; technology; collaboration.
Methodology Strength in numbers…
Methodology CERN strategic communication plan 2009-2013 DRAFT 1, 22 April 2009 This plan covers the period 2009-2013, during which the first results from the LHC will be published. Its main objective is to build on the platform created by the public impact of the LHC start-up in 2008 to position CERN’s key message of basic science as a key knowledge and innovation driver.
Our approach: transparency Methodology
Perception versus reality Methodology What is CERN? European Organization for Nuclear Research? European Laboratory for Particle Physics? Perception Reality CERN is a nuclear lab Particle physics CERN does military research Forbidden CERN is secretive Publishes openly CERN is closed Open to the public Much of our intranet is accessible. Many of our scientists are encouraged and enabled to communicate.
Open communication works Methodology
And costs nothing.. Methodology • Gain trust • You have no choice • If it falls down, the world will know anyway.
Methodology The world is watching.
Methodology Startup events, 2008 and 2010 • 5-6 April 2008. open days • 10 September 2008. First beam • 21 October 2008. Official inauguration • 30 March 2010. First Physics • Neighbours • Media • Political • Media
The overall result… Methodology
10 September 2008 Methodology • 450 broadcasters • 2500 transmissions • 91 stand-ups • Audience in hundreds of millions “CERN is the new NASA!”
… and it continued through 2009. Global language monitor… Word of the year: twitter, but hadron came in at number 8 Phrase of the year: king of pop, but god particle came in at 10 Name of the Year: Barak Obama, but LHC was number 4 Time magazine… LHC restart made top 10 science discoveries Bird drops bread made top 10 odd news stories
30 March 2010 Methodology • CERN's public homepage recorded 205,000 visitors (unique IPs) from 185 countries. Normal average 10,000 visitors per day • The Press Office site recorded 154,000 visitors. Normal average 2,000 per day • 231 peak simultaneous connections to CERN's HQ broadcast (from LHC institutes) • The CERN LHC First Physics webcast was visited by 700,000 unique computers (IP addresses) • GroovyGecko CEO: "make no mistake, this was a huge webcast” • Yospace mobile streaming: 3,521 stream requests • CERN went from 90,000 to 120,000 followers during the day • Keywords "LHC", "CERN", "TeV" and "experiment" were all global trends on Twitter at some point during the day
What’s next? Making that headline come true! “The troubles of the mountains lie behind us.Before us lie the troubles of the plains.” - Bertolt Brecht
