particle detectives - case study

brief

This brief was big! The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a £2.6 bn, 27km long monument to modern science, built by CERN in Switzerland to research the origins of the universe. We were approached with the task of presenting the world's most impressive particle accelerator in a fun, engaging and educational way in an attempt to open a dialogue between the bright young minds of tomorrow and dynamic nuclear physicists of today.

solution

We replicated the LHC using Flash and actionscript and a fair whack of XML to fit neatly into a computer screen. This simulator gave pupils the chance to take control, run and explore experiments, looking for the same results the scientists themselves are hoping to discover. The site features teachers materials that tie with the A-level and GCSE curriculum and a video section which allows students to go beyond the syllabus and engage in an interactive Q and A with scientists at CERN!

result

Within weeks of the launch the site was used by over 200 schools, with approximately 7000 students spending an average of 15 minutes each engaged with it! The virtual LHC has attracted the attention of teaching professionals across Europe and we have been approached to produce different language versions in a number of European territories as well as running an online competition around the application in conjunction with the Swiss Tourist Board.