Big Bang at the Royal Society

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Published: 03 July 2008

Big Bang at the Royal Society

This summer, the world’s biggest physics experiment – the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - will recreate conditions that existed billionths of a second after time began and possibly uncover some of the deepest mysteries of the origins and workings of our universe.

The LHC – the world’s most powerful man-made particle accelerator – will also be making a ‘big bang’ at this year’s Royal Society Summer exhibition, as an interactive exhibit run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Visitors will see parts of the LHC’s particle detectors and learn why the biggest machines in the world are needed to track the smallest particles of matter.

Researchers will be on hand to discuss why particle smashing experiments at the LHC are important and exciting.

Professor Keith Mason, Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), who fund the UK involvement in the experiment said:

“This is one of those exciting milestones in science which could change our thinking about the way the world works.

Our understanding of physics and the universe may be catapulted forward or even vastly changed by the results recorded in this huge and complex experiment.

It’s great that we can bring a flavour of it to the Royal Society Summer Exhibition.”

The LHC is an international project in which the UK has a leading role.

It will smash protons together in an underground tunnel, 27km long, and record the results in detectors the size of cathedrals.

As well as creating conditions that existed billionths of a second after the Big Bang, results may also shed light on the mysteries surrounding antimatter and dark matter and will allow us to investigate the existence of extra space-time dimensions.

It may also find the Higgs boson – an undetected particle theorized to give other particles mass.

Other exhibits with STFC involvement include:

Can you hear black holes collide?

A showcase of the exciting science associated with Einstein’s general theory of relativity, black holes and gravitational waves.

Visitors to the exhibition will gain an understanding of how space and time are flexible, find out more about black holes and see a demonstration of the technology used to search for gravitational waves.

The display is a collaboration between researchers from the University of Southampton, Birmingham University, Cardiff University, Glasgow University, designers from Milde Science Communication and the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany.

These researchers are part of the GEO 600 and Advanced LIGO projects which expect to detect gravitational waves for the first time ever in the near future.

Exploring the Solar System: Mankind or Machine?

This exciting display will give visitors the chance to see the ExoMars rover prototype in action and see (via a plasma screen) through the ‘eyes’ of the rover.

There are also hands on exhibits showing how we can see planetary surfaces with different light wavelengths; a video console with information on rovers, manned missions and aerobots; a model of the BepiColombo space mission and an online survey to record the public's opinion about the future of space policy.

Dr John Bridges, of the Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, is organising the exhibit which also includes the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Aberystwyth University, the National Space Centre and Astrium Ltd.

Is there anybody out there? Looking for new worlds.

A team of planet hunters, looking for new worlds similar to Earth, will be showing live transmissions from telescopes around the world as they search for Earth like planets orbiting a star.

The three methods used to find exoplanets (planets beyond our solar system) will be demonstrated using games and interactive displays, with visitors being given the chance to win packs of exoplanet “top trumps”.

There will also be a telescope, SuperWASP South, operated remotely from the exhibition, and the team of planet-hunters will be on-hand to answer questions.

The planet hunting team is from the Open University, University of St Andrews, Keele University, the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Manchester, Queen’s University Belfast and the Faulkes Telescope Project.

From hard-disk to healthcare: What can spintronics do for you?

An exciting display about Spintronics - a new field of research based on a property of electrons known as their spin or magnetic moment.

Spintronics began with the discovery of Giant Magneto Resistance which has made today’s computer data storage capabilities possible.

The display is from the University of Leeds; Durham University; University of Cambridge; University of Exeter; University of Glasgow; City University London; Imperial College London; University of Warwick; ISIS, Science and Technology Facilities Council

Further information

The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition showcases cutting edge research in science and engineering from across the UK. It is held annually at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science.

The Exhibition runs from Monday 30 to Thursday 3 July 2008 and the event is FREE & open to the public.

Exhibition opening times: