Promoting the Large Hadron Collider

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Promoting the Large Hadron Collider
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Guardian leader 27 March

• In praise of ... Cern Buried deep in granite
  under the border between France and Switzerland,
  the biggest and most expensive scientific
  experiment on earth is nearing completion.
  Working at temperatures colder than deep space,
  the 27km-long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will,
  when it is first fired up next year, reshape what
  is known about the origins of the universe. The
  flagship project of Cern, the international
  particle physics laboratory whose expertise is so
  wide-ranging that it invented the world wide web
  as a sideline and gave it away free, the LHC is
  an uplifting example of international cooperation
  achieving what no single country could manage
  it brings together 6,400 scientists from around
  the globe. The aim is to find and explore dark
  matter, the unknown type of matter which
  dominates the universe. Cern's scientists talk of
  finding new dimensions. The specialism is so
  extraordinary that the consequences are near
  impossible for non-experts to comprehend but
  what is found at Cern in the next few years could
  change the world.

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Steering Group

• Mike Green (Science and Society Panel) Chair
• Graham Farmelo (Science and Society Panel) Dep.
  Chair
• Tim Greenshaw (Science and Society Panel)
• John Womersley (Head of PPD, RAL)
• James Gillies (Head of Communications, CERN)
• Brian Cox (Science communicator)
• Simon Singh (Broadcaster, writer)
• A N Other (GridPP events officer)
• David Evans (ALICE)
• Val Gibson (LHCb)
• Helen Heath (CMS)
• Pete Watkins (ATLAS)

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PPARC staff

• Peter Barrett (Head of Communications)
• Robin Clegg (Head of Science and Society
  Programme)
• Nathan Hill (Industrial Coordinator)
• Julia Maddock (Community Press Officer)
• Lindsay Mercer (Particle Physics Division)
• Andrew Morrison (Schools Officer)
• Anna Starkey (Particle Physics Outreach Officer)

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Strategy for promotion of the LHC

• Group with communications experts and UK LHC
  experiment representatives set up by the Science
  and Society Panel in 2005 to define a strategy
• Presented to the Panel and Council in February
  2006 and given strong backing
• Strategy document at http//www.pparc.ac.uk/Ed/LHC
  Com.asp
• Details now need to be developed and actions put
  in place

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Key audiences

• Public all sections (20 declare themselves
  interested in new scientific and technical
  developments)
• Students emphasis on 14 16 but also gifted 12
  14 and those 16 18
• Policy makers and opinion formers (MPs, House of
  Lords, government policy makers, )

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Key messages

• LHC is one of the biggest projects in the history
  of science
• It addresses fundamental questions about our
  knowledge of the universe
• It is an international collaborative venture with
  the UK having a major role
• There are valuable technological spin-offs
• We wish the public to share the excitement we
  feel
• Young people can be a part of activities such as
  these if they study physics
• British industry benefits
• For reasonable public investment we will learn
  much about how the universe works

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Key elements

• TV and radio coverage
• Aim for two major terrestrial and three
  non-terrestrial TV programmes
• News and daytime TV and radio coverage as results
  are announced
• Annual updating meetings for journalists
• National schools programme
• Briefings and support material for teachers
• Local visits to schools by particle physicists
• Lectures tour (IoP or IEEE)

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Key elements

• Major exhibitions
• Public events around the country
• Use science centres/Cafés Scientifiques
• Ensure they get high media profile
• Receptions for VIPs and opinion formers
• One in 2007 (turn on of LHC)
• One in each of 2008 and 2009 to mark achievements
• Continually updated website based on
  ParticlePhysicsUK

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In progress

• Advertisement for a half-time co-ordinator for
  two years is now out
• Engagement with the Science Museum to mount a
  six-month exhibition in 2007 that will then tour
  four other UK locations
• Focus groups (general public and teachers) to
  help with detailed planning
• Press support (PPARC press office)
• Guided tours of LHC for media people
• Professional photographs of UK equipment
• Television footage
• Engaging TV producers and commissioning editors
• Media training for particle physicists

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Legacy

• A new generation of particle physicists trained
  to work with the media and schools
• A larger group of journalists aware and
  supportive of particle physics and willing to
  write about it
• Increased political support for particle physics
• Increased awareness in UK industry of the
  commercial opportunities at CERN