The CERN community is invited to attend the ceremony of the Tomalla Prize, awarded this year to Italian Physicist and CERN Alumni Alessandra Buonanno for her work on gravitational waves.

Buonanno, who is currently a director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam and a principal investigator of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, made seminal contributions to the modelling of gravitational waves from the coalescence of compact-binary systems. She is awarded the Tomalla prize, which is attributed every few years by the Tomalla Foundation for outstanding work in gravity research.

The ceremony, during which the laureate will give a colloquium about her work, will take place on Friday 14 October at 5.30 p.m. in the Grand Auditoire de l’Ecole de Physique of the University of Geneva (24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, Genève). No registration is needed to attend.

Join the audience on 12 October at 4.30 p.m. for the screening of the one-hour long Belgian film “François Englert, Rebel and Nobel” in CERN’s main auditorium. The film addresses the life of Englert, the Belgian theoretical physicist and Nobel prize laureate who, along with Robert Brout and, independently, Peter Higgs, theorised the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism in 1964.

The screening of the film (in French with English subtitles) will be followed by a discussion about the man and his work with the filmmakers and CERN physicists.

The autumn book fair of the Springer publisher is back after a two-year hiatus. Discover and purchase the latest titles in physics, engineering and popular science.

The book fair will take place on the ground floor of the Main Building (bldg. 500), near Restaurant 1 on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 October 2022, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you!

Building on the success of previous events in this series "Moving Out of Academia to..." we would like to provide CERN Alumni – or soon to be alumni – with the opportunity to learn more about how fellow alumni successfully managed a transition from Academia to the Big Tech industry.

If you are considering moving into this sector of activity, this is your opportunity to come along with your questions and obtain first-hand information from our panellists.

The first part of the event is focused on the nature of the work carried out by our panellists and on other skills, they acquired at CERN which have helped them (or not) in the transition. They also explain which additional skills they had to develop after CERN for a successful career move.

The second part of the event will provide you with very practical advice on how to prepare for such a transition, how to get started, what errors to avoid, where to look for help and how to promote your assets.

When: on 21 October 2022, from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. CET
Where: Please register here for the event to receive the zoom link.

____

For more information and to see the list of panelists visit the Alumni website.

Find out how you can join the CERN & Society Foundation and contribute to its mission: promoting the public engagement and understanding of science, and empowering young people from all over the world to pursue an education in a STEM*-related field.

From October, the CERN & Society Foundation will have a stand in all three CERN restaurants every Tuesday and Thursday from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Come and visit us to meet the team and find out about initiatives to spread the spirit of scientific curiosity. Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved and make a difference!

* STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Are you interested in learning more about the IP and patent aspect of knowledge transfer at CERN? Do you need to familiarise yourself with the research in a particular field in order to solve engineering problems, or to identify areas requiring further research? Or do you need to find industrial or academic partners in a specific field?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may find the upcoming course “Finding Happiness in Patent Information Databases” useful.

This course will cover the fundamentals of intellectual property and patents, while explaining how patent information data sources and search tools can increase your knowledge of the state of the art in your field. You will also learn more about the services offered by CERN's Knowledge Transfer (KT) group.

Description of the course:

• Brief introduction to knowledge transfer at CERN
• Fundamentals of intellectual property and patents
• Anatomy of a patent vs scientific publication: exercise
• Patent classification: exercises
• Introduction to publicly accessible patent information databases: exercises
• Searching public access patent information databases (Espacenet and Google Patents): exercises
• Data analysis on patent information: exercises
• Q&A and wrap-up session

The next course will take place on 13 October 2022 and the enrolment deadline is 7 October 2022. For more information and to sign up please see the training catalogue.

We are pleased to announce that registration will open this week for the International Conference on Quantum Technology for High-Energy Physics, which will be hosted at CERN on 1–4 November 2022. The event will take place in the CERN Main Auditorium, with featured sessions being broadcast live.

The conference will serve as a forum to discuss both the potential of and the challenges surrounding the nascent quantum technology and what overall impact this new frontier of science might have on high-energy physics (HEP). Bringing the whole community together, we will discuss recent developments in the field and keep looking for those activities within HEP and beyond that can most benefit from the application of quantum technologies.

Spread across four days, the event will cover a number of topics ranging from four quantum technology areas (theory, sensing, computing and communication) to collaboration with academia and industry, entrepreneurship, training and education activities. There will also be a series of tutorials and hands-on sessions co-developed with companies and providers, to explore the fascinating field of quantum science to its fullest extent.

Following a successful workshop on quantum computing in 2018 that marked the beginning of a range of new investigations into quantum computing at CERN, this is the first edition of the QT4HEP conference and a great opportunity to share knowledge and ideas, advance quantum expertise and skills and foster common activities with academia and industry on national and international levels.

Join us as we unlock the full potential of innovative quantum technology and its great promise to support scientific research: https://indico.cern.ch/e/QT4HEP22.

_______________

About CERN QTI

The CERN Quantum Technology Initiative (CERN QTI) is a comprehensive R&D and knowledge-sharing initiative to investigate applications of quantum technologies for high-energy physics and beyond. Given CERN’s increasing information and communications technology and computing demands, as well as the significant national and international interest in quantum-technology activities, CERN QTI aims to provide dedicated mechanisms for the exchange of both knowledge and innovation.

Find out more at quantum.cern and on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Link to the roadmap: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5553774.

Way Beyond, a film directed by Swiss artist Pauline Julier and inspired by the endeavours of the FCC study, will premiere at Les Cinémas du Grütli in Geneva at 7.00 p.m. on 4 October, with the film’s director in attendance. Invitations are required to attend the premiere – you may request one by e-mail at contact@sister-distribution.ch.  

The 60-minute documentary draws on CERN’s archived documentation, mixed with more recent footage of meetings between scientists and engineers actively involved in shaping the design of the next generation of particle colliders currently being explored by the international FCC collaboration.

Julier thought up the idea of a film about humanity’s quest to uncover the origins of the universe at a workshop organised by the “Arts@CERN” programme. Filming then took place between January 2017 and June 2019 at CERN and other locations, including at the annual FCC collaboration meeting in Berlin back in 2018, and the project came about thanks to the generous support of Loterie Romande, Migros centre culturel, the Swiss Office fédéral de la culture and the Fondation Ernst Gohner.  

Following the premiere at Cinémas du Grütli, Way Beyond will be screened from 5 to 11 October at the Cinélux in Geneva and at the Bellevaux cinema in Lausanne. In parallel, several special screenings, attended by the director, along with notable scientists and artists, are planned around Switzerland.

The film has also been screened at several prestigious film festivals around Europe, including the Visions du Réel festival (Burning Lights competition) in 2021, the 2021 Photo Days in Paris, the Solothurner Filmtage in 2022 and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, also in 2022.

The International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG), in collaboration with Women in Technology (WIT), will host a masterclass in particle physics designed for people working at CERN who have little or no scientific background.

On 26 October from 9.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
At CERN – Room 160/1-009

Masterclasses offer a unique opportunity to work with real data from current experiments to get an understanding and appreciation of how research and discovery work.

IPPOG has been organising the International Masterclasses Programme for over 10 years now. Each year, thousands of students from all over the world get the opportunity to become scientists for a day, to learn science methodology and to experience the excitement of discovery first hand.

Now, we are offering that experience to personnel at CERN who do not usually get that opportunity themselves.

Sign up today!

_____

More information and registration on Indico: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1194148/.
Please note that the event will be held in person and in English.

ECFA, the European Committee for Future Accelerators, will be holding a public talk on the need for a new particle collider on 6 October at DESY, in Hamburg (Germany). Follow the conference online, either on DESY's Youtube channel (on which the event will be live streamed) or via Zoom. 

During this conference, entitled “Does the World need a new particle collider – and why?”, Japanese-American scientist Hitoshi Murayama will explore the fascinating scientific opportunities that such a collider could offer. The talk will be followed by a round-table discussion with renowned panelists, including CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti.

The Zoom link for the conference will be made available on the Indico page of the event. 

A symposium and celebration of the founding, in 1997, of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) will take place on 29 October, from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., at the Globe of Science and Innovation.

______

More information and registration on Indico: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1173726/.

Influenza, more commonly known as “flu”, is a highly contagious viral disease. The influenza virus attacks with more intensity during the winter months. Symptoms can be mild, but the virus can also cause severe illness and even death, particularly for those in the high-risk groups (the very young, people over 55, those with an underlying health condition, those who are pregnant, overweight or who have a weakened immune system). Symptoms usually last between three and seven days, although in some instances they can persist for several weeks.

The virus spreads through water droplets, especially when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or via contaminated hands and surfaces.

Hygiene measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as washing your hands, coughing into your elbow and keeping your distance, are good habits to keep up, as they are effective in helping to reduce the chance of contracting and/or spreading the flu virus.

The vaccine remains the best way to protect yourself against flu, to prevent the spread of the disease and to reduce its severity, in particular if you’re part of a high-risk group.

An international panel of experts carefully reviews the strain composition of the vaccine annually based on data from epidemiological centres and then makes recommendations to countries accordingly as to what strains they might wish to include in their national flu vaccine programme.

It takes about two weeks for an adequate immune response and protection to develop, and immunity tends to decline over the course of a few months. It is thus important to get a flu vaccine every year.

The flu vaccine will be available free of charge to anyone working on the CERN site, including contractors. Practical details of this year’s flu vaccination campaign, which will run from 17 October until 11 November, can be found at https://hse.cern/fluvaccination.

_____

Further information:
General information on Influenza | WHO
General information on Influenza in Switzerland | OFSP (available in French only)

Vaccination in France | Ameli (available in French only)
Vaccination in Switzerland | HUG (available in French only)

Since 2014 CERN has had an established policy that requires that all peer-reviewed primary research articles from CERN authors be published open access (OA), making them freely accessible to readers from across the globe. In order to make it as seamless as possible for CERN authors to comply with our policy, the CERN Scientific Information Service (SIS) has established a number of enabling mechanisms and tools to support authors in publishing their work OA.

SIS has decided to hold an online event for the CERN community during International Open Access Week 2022 (24 to 28 October). The event will feature talks from a range of experts on a range of diverse topics, from the historical perspective of OA at CERN to practical sessions to support CERN authors in publishing their work OA. The event will also feature talks from representatives of publishers of journals relevant to the CERN community, who will showcase their latest initiatives for HEP-relevant disciplines and their agreements with SIS in support of open access for the CERN community.

The event will run throughout the week of 24–28 October 2022, with one 90-minute session per day. Sessions are free of charge and open to all, and all participants are welcome to join one or several sessions. You will have an opportunity to ask questions, and if you are not available to attend all the sessions, no worries! The event will be recorded, so you can catch up afterwards. 

The full agenda is available here.

It is already possible to register for this event. Please note that registration is not mandatory, but registered people will receive reminders about the sessions and will be alerted when the recordings are ready. 

If you have any questions regarding the event, please don’t hesitate to contact open-access-questions@cern.ch.

CERN Scientific Information Service 

In December 1921, Albert Einstein was awarded a Nobel Prize in honour of his contributions to theoretical physics and his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. He received it in 1922.  A hundred years on, Einstein is considered as the father of modern physics, but he was also an accomplished violinist who loved music.  

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most joy in life out of music.” - Albert Einstein

At the time Einstein received the Nobel Prize, a Russian engineer, Lev Termen, was laying the foundations of modern electronic music with his invention, the theremin. Curious to find out more about this instrument, Einstein attended various concerts and even tried to play it.

To celebrate the anniversary of Albert Einstein’s Nobel Prize, CERN, in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy in Switzerland, will host an unconventional music concert at the Globe of Science and Innovation at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday 19 October 2022. 

The event will comprise an unconventional music concert in which a Swiss artist (Roland Bucher) featuring a noise table, and a Swedish artist (Henrik Rylander), featuring a theremin, will enter in musical conversations with CERN scientists and musicians Paula Collins, Angela Ricci, Anne Marie Magnan, Patrick Robbe and Chiara Mariotti.

Music performances will be preceded by lectures on Einstein by Professor Brian Foster (Oxford University) and on the sonification of LHC data by Professor Domenico Vicinanza (GEANT and Anglia Ruskin University).

Come and celebrate Einstein’s life, music and science in a unique and unconventional event!

Programme and registration on the Indico page of the event. 

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis which can affect any joint, typically the hands, knees, hips, lower back and neck. Historically, OA was known as a “wear and tear” condition, generally associated with older individuals but the disease can also affect much younger people depending on personal and professional risk factors. OA is considered a chronic disease and other than joint replacement surgery there is presently no cure. There are, however, treatments that can reduce pain, improve function, and in some instances delay the progression of the disease.

Symptoms vary in severity, and in its more severe forms OA is a painful condition that restricts mobility, interrupts sleep, and interferes with all aspects of life, including in the workplace. In terms of occupational medicine the challenge is to ensure careful monitoring and follow up, in line with the treatment type and prosthesis chosen and the functions and conditions of one’s profession.

In this seminar, Dr Grégoire Chick of the Hôpital de la Tour and Bernard Prandi, co-founder and co-president of Keri Medical Group will present the various clinical and engineering solutions associated with OA. It will further explore the potential of CERN’s Mechanical and Materials Engineering portfolio such as design, simulations and measurements, high-precision fabrication, additive manufacturing, material science and non-destructive testing (including X-ray computed tomography and failure analysis), and possible future collaboration opportunities.

This seminar is co-organised by the Health, Safety and Environmental protection (HSE) Unit, in collaboration with the Engineering (EN) Department.

We look forward to seeing many of you on this occasion!

Full details can be found on the Indico page of the event.

We invite you to join us for the CERN & the Environment workshop in the Council Chamber (or via Zoom) to find out more about the many environmental initiatives completed or under way at CERN. Presentations will be given across various sessions, covering topics including: energy, the status of research on environmentally-friendly coolants and detector gases, water, our local environment, mobility, travel, food and more. The highlight of the programme will be two keynote presentations, delivered by renowned speakers, which will address the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and the barriers preventing behavioural changes that would favourably impact climate transition.

We look forward to gathering feedback from the CERN community on matters that affect us all, and will equally encourage the discussion of future objectives.

Seating in the Council Chamber will be limited, and you will need to register to attend. Full details and the event’s timetable can be found here.

We hope many of you will be able to join us for this event!

Benoît Delille, Mar Capeans Garrido, Manfred Krammer, Chris Hartley, Sonja Kleiner, Roberto Losito and Serge Claudet

The 2022 edition of the annual CERN Road Race will be held on Thursday 29 September at 18:15.

The 5.5-km race takes place over three laps of a 1.8-km circuit in the West Area of the Meyrin site, and is open to everyone working at CERN and their families. 

Children (under 15 years) have their own race over one lap of 1.8 km and a mass start. As usual, there will be a “best family” challenge (judged on best parent + best child).

Trophies are awarded in the usual men’s, women’s and veterans’ categories, and there is a challenge for the best age/performance. There will also be a team category. Teams must consist of at least 4 runners that have participated in the relay race together in 2022.

Every participant will receive a souvenir prize, financed by a registration fee of 10 CHF for adults. Children enter free (each child will receive a medal).

More information and registration at: http://runningclub.web.cern.ch/content/cern-road-race

The award ceremony of the challenge-based international competition “Mining the Future” will take place on 27 September at CERN's Globe for Science and Innovation in Meyrin, Switzerland.

Launched in June 2021 by CERN and the University of Leoben, with the support of the EU-funded H2020 FCCIS project, the competition sought solutions for the sustainable use of molasse excavated material.

The contest attracted 12 proposals from consortia of academic and industrial partners, that were reviewed by a panel of internationally recognised experts and assessed based on their technological readiness, innovative potential and socio-economic impact. The top four contestants with the higher scores were invited to further develop their proposals during the second round of this contest.

The final results will be presented to the public and the winner(s) of the competition will be announced at a special ceremony at CERN.

_____

More information and registration on the Indico page of the event: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1182316/

What better way to get to know a new city than by immersing oneself in the local culture? The International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI), which is dedicated to this mission, is joining forces with CERN to open a cultural kiosk on the premises of the Organization.

More than twenty years ago, a cultural kiosk was set up at the heart of the Palais des Nations to build and strengthen cultural links between the international organisations, the city of Geneva, and Switzerland as a whole. Building on that success, a similar stand will be set up in Building 500 at CERN, located between the new post office premises and the bank.

CAGI’s new cultural kiosk will offer CERN personnel and visitors the chance to buy show tickets at discounted prices and receive top tips on the best sights and attractions in the area.

This first-rate new service will be launched in the afternoon of 19 September, with events and special offers organised to celebrate its opening. Don’t miss this opportunity to familiarise yourself with the CAGI and its cultural kiosk!

Also note that the CAGI’s diary of cultural events will henceforth appear in every issue of the CERN Bulletin, so don’t miss out on all the good deals!

For more information, click here.

Weekly news and offers in the spotlight on https://www.cagi.ch/en/cultural-kiosk-agenda/

Following the article of 20 June 2022 announcing the renovation of the Library, we are pleased to inform you that work on the Library premises will start on 4 October 2022.

Please note that the Library premises will close at 7.00 a.m. on 3 October. This closure applies to the reception desk and bookshop located in Building 52 and to the reading areas found on the ground and first floor of Building 52 and on the first floor of Building 3. The Library garden will also be closed.

From 3 October, Library services will continue to operate in their temporary premises as follows:

• A small library will be located in room 3/1-015, where you will be able to access part of the collection. The rest of the books will be stored in a repository, and Library staff will promptly deliver them to you upon request. As always, you can request any book via our online catalogue: https://catalogue.library.cern/
• A bookshop will be available in room 3/1-011.

Preparatory work will start from 19 September. In particular, scaffolding will be installed in the garden opposite Buildings 3 and 52, which might generate some noise. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the library at: library.desk@cern.ch