Particle physics - from collisions to applications (CERN)

Today, the tools of experimental particle physics are ubiquitous in hospitals and biomedical research. Particle beams damage cancer cells; high-performance computing infrastructures accelerate drug discoveries; computer simulations of how particles interact with matter are used to model the effects of radiation on biological tissues; and a diverse range of particle-physics-inspired detectors, from wire chambers to scintillating crystals to pixel detectors, all find new vocations imaging the human body.

What is everything in the cosmos made of, and how do we know? In this talk, we’ll explore the world of particle physics: the quest to understand the fundamental building blocks of the universe. At particle physics labs, such as near-by CERN, scientists use powerful machines like the Large Hadron Collider to smash particles together and study the collisions. From discovering the Higgs boson to investigating the mysteries of dark matter and antimatter, we’ll uncover how these high-energy collisions help us piece together the universe’s blueprint, and explore why we’re still searching for answers.