Students have been offered a fantastic opportunity to visit Switzerland for a STEM-themed trip, and a huge number have expressed an interest. Based in Geneva for 3 nights, students will visit CERN, The History of Science Museum, The Museum of Natural History, Einstein's House and The Einstein Museum. They will also have an opportunity to see some of the sights of Geneva and Bern and to take a boat cruise on Lake Geneva.
On departure day, the group will fly from Bristol Airport, landing in Geneva around lunchtime. To get acquainted with the city, there will be a self-led treasure trail during the afternoon, followed by a traditional Swiss evening meal. Accommodation will be at the Geneva Youth Hostel close to Lake Geneva and about 1km from the city centre (subject to change).
On day 2, students will visit CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research). This extraordinary place is the home of the largest physics laboratory in the world, a research hub where thousands of scientists from across the world collaborate to further our understanding of modern physics. CERN houses the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is the world's largest particle accelerator. It is a marvel of engineering, and the figures are staggering. For example, it is approximately 27km in circumference and the total length of the superconducting wire for the LHC is 250,000 km, which would go around the equator 6.8 times. It collides protons or ions to near the speed of light at some 300,000,000 metres per second and the electromagnets in the LHC are chilled to -271.3 degrees Celsius, which is colder than outer space. The LHC cost $4.75 billion to build. If that wasn't enough to marvel at, students will also have an opportunity to gain an understanding of the experiments being conducted at CERN and to absorb the sheer scale and atmosphere of a huge international research facility.
Image credits: CERN
A visit to the History of Science Museum and the Museum of Natural History in Geneva are also on the cards, before heading back to the accommodation to rest and eat!
On day 3 there will be a day trip to Switzerland's capital city, Bern, where in the old town fabulous medieval architecture is preserved. Bern was also the home of Albert Einstein and students will visit Einstein's House and the Einstein Museum, integrated into the Bern Historical Museum.
Before flying home on day 4, there will be time for a relaxing boat cruise on Lake Geneva and a visit to the Botanical Gardens - a lovely way to end a hectic trip!
This promises to be an enormously inspiring trip, particularly for students interested in physics, scientific research and engineering, but also for those wishing to soak up a different culture and make the most of new experiences.
The trip will be led by Miss Morris, Mr Hines and Mr Duke and departs in February 2023.