Have you ever wondered about your role as a data subject in the world of data privacy? It's not just about regulations; it's also about your rights and responsibilities.

In our ongoing effort to make data privacy more accessible, the Office of Data Privacy (ODP) at CERN, in partnership with the Data Privacy Coordination Committee (DPCC), presents the next instalment in our “Privacy in a nutshell” video series.

This third episode explores the concept of data subjects, shedding light on what being a data subject means whilst clarifying your rights and responsibilities. Discover how CERN protects your personal data and learn what being a data subject entails.

For more resources and related information, please visit the ODP website.

Stay tuned for more informative videos as we continue our mission to make data privacy understandable and relevant to all. 

The Geneva public transport operator TPG (Transports publics genevois) is making a number of changes to its services with effect from 10 December. Certain bus routes will be renamed, new stops will be introduced and cross-border services (Pays de Gex and Haute-Savoie) will be enhanced.

Here is an overview of the changes to the bus routes serving CERN and the surrounding area:

• Creation of a new bus route (67) linking Meyrin Gravière with Chevry and Crozet.
• The 68 bus route linking Blandonnet and the Thoiry shopping centre will be extended between the Hôpital de la Tour and Blandonnet stops, with new stops at Maillard, Veyrot and Meyrin Gare. In 2024, this service will be gradually improved, notably with the provision of articulated buses during rush hours.
• The F bus route between Cornavin and Gex-L’Aiglette will be replaced by the 60 + 61 express services (the 61 will run during rush hours Mondays to Fridays and will serve fewer stops).

Changes are also afoot for the Noctambus night service: most of the TPG’s urban and regional routes will now operate both during the day and at night.

No changes are planned for the 18 tram line, which serves CERN’s Meyrin site, or the 66 bus route, which serves the Prévessin site.

See the following link for more information:

• Toutes les nouveautés sur le réseau TPG
• Nouveautés lignes Rive droite / Pays de Gex
• Pays de Gex agglo – Changements dans l’offre des transports en commun
• Plans of the TPG network

The Knowledge Transfer (KT) group would like to invite all who are interested to attend an Applied AI at CERN and Projects with Industry workshop, which will take place all day on 15 December, in person at the IT Amphitheatre and on Zoom.

The primary aim of the workshop is to introduce CERN’s community to recent projects financed by industry (or other external organisations) using CERN’s expertise and/or technology in AI and machine learning (ML). The workshop will demonstrate the richness and diversity of AI applications and explain how CERN’s Knowledge Transfer group can help you to build such projects for the benefit of CERN and industry in CERN’s Member and Associate Member States.

The second objective is to share ideas about future projects with the wider ML community at CERN: to discuss common experiences, identify collaboration opportunities and learn from each other in order to optimise our internal efforts.

Finally, we are keen to open up the discussion to the CERN community and gauge the potential interest in a broader AI/ML initiative for CERN, with the aim to facilitate synergy and knowledge exchange across the Laboratory. In doing so, we aim to collectively think about how we can benefit from advancements in AI, while also taking advantage of opportunities to collaborate and partner with industry.

We are excited to build upon the vibrant communities already thriving within the Laboratory. Please join us to share your experience and ideas!

Please register on Indico 

The CERN & Society Foundation is pleased to announce its annual end-of-year campaign.

From 28 November to the end of December 2023, the CERN & Society Foundation will guide you through a digital journey in support of the 2024 non-Member State summer student programme (NMSSS).

The NMSSS provides students from non-Member States who are studying for a bachelors or masters degree with the unique opportunity to spend eight weeks at CERN. In addition to participating in experiments, students have the chance to experience CERN’s multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.

During the campaign, the Foundation will tell the exciting stories of five young scientists who took part in the 2023 programme. These students were Angelica from the Philippines, Mary from Kenya, Jenan from Palestine, Eliacim from the Dominican Republic and Nima from Iran.

Run digitally, the campaign will include six video testimonials. The first, featuring all five of the students, will give an overview of the programme and mark the campaign’s launch.

All videos will be published through the CERN & Society Foundation's social media channels Facebook and LinkedIn.

The CERN & Society Foundation is pleased to invite the whole CERN community to support the NMSSS programme by donating through its website. We thank you in advance for supporting the next generation of scientists!

When the CERN site closes its doors on 23 December for the end-of-year closure, CERN Science Gateway will remain open for you to enjoy with your friends and family.

CERN Science Gateway exhibitions will be welcoming visitors for most of the winter break, from Tuesday to Sunday, 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., closing only on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1, 6 and 7 January.

Families and individuals can arrive on the day and book activities on the spot (groups of 12 or more need to book visits several months in advance). Explore the exhibitions, the Big Bang Café and the CERN shop. Note that during December CERN personnel receive a 10% discount at the CERN shop when showing their CERN access card.

Public transport is recommended, as only a limited number of paid parking spaces are available. For more information visit: https://visits.web.cern.ch/getting-here   

CERN Science Gateway guides have welcomed more than 40 000 visitors since the centre opened to the public on 8 October. Guide training is still available if you would like to join the team.

Come and visit for yourselves and enjoy CERN Science Gateway.

Journey back 40 years to relive the excitement of hunting for the W boson at CERN, with an exclusive screening of the 1983 BBC documentary The Geneva Event on Thursday, 30 November from 1.00 p.m. in the Main Auditorium https://indico.cern.ch/e/geneva-event.

The BBC Horizon team captured Carlo Rubbia in his element as it followed physicists and engineers at the SPS and the UA1 and UA2 experiments from 1978 to 1983 on the path to one of the most important discoveries in particle physics. Catch a glimpse of old control rooms, the expanding CERN sites and newly installed state-of-the art technology. The documentary also features the first antiproton beams, retro animations, lectures by Steven Weinberg and Abdus Salam, as well as former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s visit to CERN.

Scientifically robust, this classic documentary film offers a rare insight into the technological challenges and personal stories behind large physics experiments.

On Friday, 8 December, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be the exceptional guest of a special evening devoted to music and physics.

This unique in-person-only event will explore the mysteries, beauty and symmetry of both music and physics. It will take place in the CERN Science Gateway Sergio Marchionne Auditorium starting at 7.00 p.m.

A limited number of seats have been reserved for the CERN community. Please register here to attend.

At the last blood donation campaign on 17 July 2023, 120 donors came along to give blood, of which 34 were first-timers. 76 donations were collected. Before the collection, the HUG presented a shortage of group A+ blood. Thanks to this collection, we were able to increase the blood reserves of group A+. This is a great success and we thank you for your contribution!

Nevertheless, the Geneva blood barometer, which is regularly updated, shows that blood stocks continue to run extremely low. CERN will hold a third blood donation session on Tuesday 28 November, from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in collaboration with the Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève (HUG), in Building 29.

Before coming to the Building 29 donation point, please make sure that:

• you are in good health and have no symptoms such as fever, cough, a cold or breathing difficulties;
• you are eligible to give blood:
  • Complete the brief online pre-donation questionnaire (in French)
  • please consult this information sheet and complete this questionnaire issued by the HUG (but note that only the pre-donation conversation with the nurse or doctor on the day can confirm your eligibility).
  • If returning from travel abroad or arriving from another country, perform the travelcheck on the HUG website (in French)
  • If you have recently been vaccinated against the flu or COVID, ensure 48 hours have passed since receiving the vaccination.

*New*: possibility to make an appointment in advance

Based on the experience of the donation campaign in July, the possibility of pre-booking your appointment via the OneDoc platform is made available on this link. Spontaneous donors will be able to come at their convenience without an appointment, mindful that there may be some waiting time on the day.

As a thank you, the HUG will be giving each donor a 10 CHF voucher, to be used in Novae’s Restaurants 1 and 2 at CERN.

We hope to see many of you at the donation point!

Give blood, save lives.

Are you a CERNie without a particle physics background?

Join the masterclass for non-physics members of CERN held by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) and the CMS collaboration.

27 November, CERN Training Centre

Register here

The Einstein Telescope: the next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in Europe, by Dr Michele Punturo (INFN, Perugia).

Thursday, 30 November 2023, 4.30 p.m.–5.30 p.m.
Room 222/R-001
Live webcast available at: https://webcast.web.cern.ch/event/i1329008

Gravitational waves (GWs) are the newest tool for exploring the Universe. Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO have opened a new window into the Universe by detecting GW signals in the Hz–kHz frequency range. Pulsar timing array experiments have just announced the detection of GWs in the nanohertz frequency range.

A new generation of GW interferometric observatories is being prepared to replace the current generation of GW detectors within the next decade. This will make it possible to search almost the entire Universe for GW signals. The Einstein Telescope (ET) is at the forefront of the design, preparation and implementation of a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in Europe. An overview of the observatory’s scientific objectives, design, required technologies and project organisation will be presented at the event.

_____

More information available on Indico.

The purpose of the CERN & Society Foundation is to support and promote the mission of CERN and disseminate its benefits to the wider public. The Foundation operates nationally and internationally to pursue its mission, across three main areas: Education & Outreach, Innovation & Knowledge Exchange, and Culture & Creativity. 

30 November – 6 p.m. on Zoom

More information and registration on the Alumni website.

On 17 November, Dr Nicole Yunger Halpern, theoretical physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), fellow of the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science, and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland, will give a talk as part of the CERN QTI lecture series.  

Launched in March 2023, the CERN QTI lecture programme aims to increase awareness and understanding of the recent developments, opportunities, and challenges in various areas of quantum research. It welcomes both emerging and established researchers to jointly unlock the full potential of quantum technologies and provide new insights into the rapidly evolving field of quantum science. Guest speakers showcase their work, share knowledge and skills and exchange new ideas and practices, thus helping to shape the quantum expertise of tomorrow.

In her upcoming talk, Dr Nicole Yunger Halpern will explore a new branch of science – quantum thermodynamics – through the lens of steampunk. Holder of the International Quantum Technology Emerging Researcher Award, the US ASPIRE Prize and the Mary Somerville Medal, and author of the award-winning book Quantum Steampunk: The Physics of Yesterday's Tomorrow, she will present an overview of how quantum information theory can revolutionise thermodynamics and the way we understand computation, cryptography and measurement.

If you are interested in the interplay of quantum physics, information theory and thermodynamics or if you would like to see how steampunk blends inventions of the past with futuristic technology — save the date now!

Free and open to all, the lecture will be held in hybrid format: physically at CERN (the IT Amphitheatre) and online via a webcast. There will also be a Zoom link available to those with a valid Indico account.

For full details, visit: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1336271/

*Please note that one day before the lecture, on 16 November, Dr Halpern will give a public talk at the Sparks! Future Quantum event, held at the CERN Science Gateway. To find out more, check the Sparks! website at: https://sparks.cern/

The CERN community is warmly invited to participate in raising the LGBTQ+ flag on the occasion of LGBTQ+ STEM Day. Please join us on Friday 17 November at 1.15 p.m. on the CERN Esplanade des Particules to celebrate this historic moment for diversity and inclusion (D&I) at CERN, more information on Indico.

By approving the D&I Programme’s proposal to raise the flag, the Directorate acknowledges the valuable contribution of the LGBTQ+ community in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This decision also reinforces CERN’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in STEM and underlines the Organization’s message that science is for everyone.

In solidarity with other scientific organisations, scientific institutes, and public institutions, CERN raises the flag for LGBTQ+ STEM Day as a sign of respect, of community, and of recognition.

CERN strives for excellence in matters of safety, which covers occupational health and safety, the safe operation of CERN’s installations and the protection of the environment. Prevention is at the heart of this endeavour.

To raise awareness and support the effort to make CERN a safer place for everyone, the HSE unit publishes safety flyers and posters, such as the newcomer safety awareness flyer, recalling the basic prevention principles and the people and services that provide support in matters of safety. The video below is the latest of these communications and aims to remind everyone of the variety of hazards present on the CERN site and the prevention measures to adopt.

General safety communications by the HSE unit are complemented by more specific information provided by the departments and the LHC experiments, tailored to their activities, the specific risks these entail and their organisation.

Safety starts with all of us. During our workday we encounter a variety of hazards, from the general to the more specific. Common risks, such as trips and falls or incidents involving our movements around the site, concern us all, while more specific hazards depend on the workplace and/or the nature of our activities. It is thus important to stop and think before beginning an activity and then act, taking account of the risks involved and the corresponding mitigation measures.

Voxxed Days are a series of tech events organised by local community groups and supported by the Voxxed team. Sharing the Devoxx philosophy that “content comes first”, these events see both internationally renowned and local speakers converge at a wide range of locations around the world. Content on Voxxed is generated by the developer community, “from developers, for developers”. Supported by local user groups, Voxxed Days CERN will offer the chance to hear from experts on a range of important topics.

On 22 and 23 January 2024
At CERN Science Gateway
More information on Indico: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1335658/

If you are a developer whose curiosity is piqued by technological developments around Java, JVM, performance, productivity, web technologies or developer practices, this event is for you. We promise an outstanding two days filled with amazing content, all at an iconic location at the new CERN Science Gateway.

Speakers include:
Dr Venkat Subramaniam
Sebastian Daschner
Josh Long
Ivan Lopez
Victor Rentea
Dr Philippe De Ryck
Oliver Drotbohm
Simone De Gijt
Ana-Maria Mihalceanu
Piotr Przybyl
Adam Bien

Tickets for Voxxed Days CERN are available now. Register here: https://cern.voxxeddays.com/

There will also be a limited number of free places available for members of the CERN personnel. More information on how to obtain these places will be available soon on Indico.

For the eighth year running, CERN, the UNIGE Faculty of Science, EPFL and the Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules (LAPP) are joining forces to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. During the week of 5 to 9 February 2024, female scientists and engineers will be visiting local schools to inspire younger generations to explore the world of science.

As a female science ambassador, you will talk about your career path, share your projects and professional experiences and maybe even give a short demonstration. Our aim is to change the way schoolchildren view scientific, technical and technological professions, making them accessible to both girls and boys. And who knows, these presentations might even inspire some future careers!

Every year, the Women and Girls in Science and Technology week proves to be a great success. In 2023, over 240 presentations were given by 100 or so female science ambassadors to 5220 schoolchildren! This is why we're always looking for more female scientists willing to give up a bit of their time to give talks in schools. So come and join the adventure by signing up: the deadline is 10 December 2023 (11.59 p.m.).

Conditions of participation:

• Registration is open to all women working in a profession connected with science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM), as well as computer science, communication or education.
• Priority will be given to presenters from CERN, UNIGE, EPFL and LAPP. If you are not from one of these institutions but would like to take part, please contact us.
• Volunteers will deliver one-hour presentations for a maximum of 35 pupils aged 7 to 15.
• The majority (95%) of the presentations will be given in French, but presentations in English are also possible.
• Volunteers are required to attend a briefing session.

Sign up and find out more: http://cern.ch/fds-interne
Deadline for signing up: 10 December 2023 (11.59 p.m.)

For CERN volunteers only: we are also looking for a female scientist who is available on Saturday, 24 February at 10.30 a.m. to talk (in French) to children aged 7 and over about her job and about particle physics in general. This event is being organised by the Bourg-en-Bresse multimedia library. Transport expenses will be covered. For more information and to volunteer, contact education.locale@cern.ch.

Thank you for volunteering!

Welcome to a special issue of the Courier to celebrate the opening of CERN Science Gateway. In addition to lifting the lid on this new flagship facility for science education and outreach, we explore the broader issues surrounding education, communication and outreach in particle physics (p27). Delving into Science Gateway’s exhibition spaces, experts reflect on four stunning art installations (p36), the secrets of success for an interactive exhibit (p31) and the power of objects (p39). Following a deep dive into the new educational labs (p41), learn about CERN’s activities in physics-education research (p43), the impact of its hugely popular teacher programmes (p45), and how particle physics is integrated in school curricula (p47). From empowering children (p49) to taking physics to festivals (p50) and transcending physical and neurological boundaries (p51), three articles emphasise the importance of reaching out as far and wide as possible. Last but certainly not least, we consider the invaluable role played by physicists (p52 and 53) and weave the rich experiences of CERN guides throughout the pages.

It’s business as usual in the rest of the issue – that is, if you consider the first measurement of the freefall of antimatter (p7), the first high-energy observation of entanglement (p15) or a 5σ discrepancy between theory and experiment (p8) business as usual. Other highlights include an interview with the incoming KEK director-general (p58), the latest conference reports (p19), careers (p62) and reviews (p60).

Read the digital edition of this new issue on CDS. 

Do you need to refer to standards for work? Via the SNV-Connect platform, you can access more than 45’000 standards in English, French or German, including the access to historical and current versions. The access is available using CERN SSO with the Microsoft Office 365 institutional account.

With this platform, you can also create alerts on selected standards to receive a notification on the future updates.

In case you cannot find what you need on the platform, fill in the request form and our librarians will be happy to assist.

Please send your feedback or questions to: library.desk@cern.ch

Arts at CERN has welcomed Dutch artist Joan Heemskerk for a one-month residency at the Laboratory. Heemskerk is a member of the renowned art collective JODI, which was known for pioneering web-based art during the mid-1990s. Using the media of video, websites, video games, performances and installations, her work explores the norms and challenges of the languages of the internet and computer programs.

Heemskerk's residency is dedicated to artistic research and focuses on her project, Alice & Bob after Clay +=-> Hello, World! Drawing inspiration from Tim Berners-Lee’s proposal at CERN that all scientists should be able to exchange ideas, this project seeks to craft a new universal language through a re-examination of the cryptographic characters Alice and Bob, the material clay and the iconic computer program “Hello, World!”

Throughout her residency, Heemskerk aims to explore the various laboratory facilities and engage in conversations with physicists, engineers and other CERN personnel. Among her lines of research, she is examining how CERN's digital systems transmit and exchange information, and how this compares to the ancient practice of conveying information using materials such as clay tablets. This interest has taken her from the archived computer-coded printouts of experimental physicist Louis Dick to the working processes and the intricacies of the CMS experiment’s trigger and data acquisition systems.

On 31 October at 11 a.m., CERN’s Women in Technology group will host Heemskerk for a conversation about her artistic approach and current research, which will be followed by a Q&A session. More information about the event can be found here.

Arts at CERN invites scientists, engineers and everyone who might be interested in engaging exchanges with Heemskerk to come and meet the artist. These interactions will allow you to delve into discussions about your research, explore common areas of interest and get involved in Heemskerk’s artistic projects. If you're interested in contacting the artist or in taking part in her research in any way, please contact us at info.arts@cern.ch.

As part of her Collide Copenhagen residency award, Heemskerk will travel to Copenhagen next month where she will continue to exchange with scientists and to develop an artwork that will be shown in an exhibition at Copenhagen Contemporary.