VIRTUAL TOUR of the LHC at CERN

Large Hadron Collider Virtual Tour in Geneva, Switzerland

virtual tour lhc

Stuck in 2020 with nothing exciting to do?

Tired of watching Netflix or staring out your window? Jules Verne and Jack London are never boring, but are your eyes crying out for a break?

Let’s go on a virtual tour! And not just any virtual tour… Let’s do something a little different this time.

This virtual tour will be both interesting and educating at the same time. We will go on a virtual tour of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. And guess what? We’ll even throw in the flight for free!

So, first things first…

What is the LHC?

It is the largest particle accelerator in the world. If you want to learn more about the Large Hadron Collider and get a little background on why I am so interested in it, you can click here:

What Is The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and Why Is It So Fascinating?

There are many different experiments being run at CERN daily. We are learning much about the universe around us. Scientists from all over the globe collaborate here.

So, get ready! This is going to be the easiest and cheapest trip you ever took! Board your aircraft, find your seat and get comfortable. Get ready for take-off!

Buckle up! Here we go…

CERN is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Geneva is located in the southeastern section of Switzerland, near the border of France.

If you want a scenic view out the side window, full screen it. Here you go!

If you want the real cockpit view of the approach and landing (my preference), this is the one for you! Visual approach to LSGG, RWY 5.

Ok, now we are taxiing up to the gate, and we need to get our baggage and navigate the airport.

Ok, I don’t know about you, but I need some espresso, or tea, and maybe a quick bite to eat after that long flight.

Why don’t we grab something to eat? Afterwards, it will be nice to stretch our legs with a little mini-tour of the waterfront.

Wow, that was nice and relaxing. I really enjoyed that, hope you did too. Let’s catch a ride to CERN, so we can start our tour.

Virtual Tour LHC Overhead view

Would you like to know what it is like to walk inside the tunnel at the LHC, next to the tubes?

Then please click here. There are controls at the bottom of the page to direct your view.

virtual tour lhc tunnel
LHC tunnel

Better yet, why don’t we go along with Simone Giertz for a more intimate virtual tour and really learn what it’s like to explore CERN from the inside.

Remember! Safety first, so put on your construction hat!

Wow, that was a blast! I don’t know who was more excited… her or me!

Now, let’s get down to business. Let’s talk to one of CERN’s own engineers to get an idea of what it is like actually working at CERN.

Now that we have got a little bit of insight into the LHC, let’s take a 360° walking tour of the LHC. We will also see exactly what happens at the CMS detector and we will hear about what it actually gives us insight into.

Ok, if you need a bathroom break, now is the time to take it. Get up, grab a drink, or a snack, stretch your legs and then we’re going to sit down for a short lecture from my favorite physics professor, Brian Cox.

Now, if it was just me, I could listen to these lectures all day, but I realize most people aren’t as much of an astrophysics geek as I am, so I thought I’d treat you to something a little different. As we know, not everything always goes according to plan. This is a short, interesting and entertaining explanation of what went wrong at the Large Hadron Collider during one of its early operations (The Atlas Experiment).

Now, if you do happen to be as much of a space-geek like I am and would like to hear a little longer explanation (not that long, only fifteen minutes or so), I have a great video for you! If you have the time, please listen to the explanation of the elementary particles starting at 3:00-5:33… It’s fascinating!

There is a link to a great website here, TED ED, where you can sign up to get daily lesson plans on a wide variety of subjects sent directly to your email. This is a great tool for educators and writers, but also just for people interested in constantly learning more about the world and universe around us.

I may not always agree with everything everyone says, but it’s always interesting to get new insights and perspectives on the world around us from people who study it every day.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I had a blast. Hope you had a great time tagging along.

We’ll have to get together again!

*Just a note: The videos embedded and shared here are not my own content, simply stunning video I watched myself and wanted to share in a creative way. If you really enjoyed these videos, please consider visiting them on their original platform and like/comment/share.

We are all in this together (#2020) and I hope others find at least some measure of peace and beauty in the nature that surrounds us every day. And for those of you like me, stuck in a way-too-urban environment and concrete jungle, get creative and find your escape in beautiful videos of that same peace and tranquility until you can once again be outdoors and in nature.

Beauty is all around us, you just have to stop and look!

More Virtual Tours…

Where should we go next?

Well, since I am down here in Switzerland, there is no way I am leaving without going to the one place in Switzerland I have always dreamed of visiting all my life… The Matterhorn in Zermatt!

If you want to go, join me tomorrow. I’m going to do the Traverse from Lion to Hornli Ridge.

It’s a long drive, so I think I will catch the rail to Zermatt tomorrow, relax by the fireplace at the cabin, and turn in early so I can get a good night’s sleep and plenty of rest before my climb the following morning.

Hmmm… maybe we’ll even do something interesting and creative before the climb, so we can see the peak from a different perspective. I’ve got an idea up my sleeve!

Would you like to come along? Get a good night’s sleep and then meet me in Zermatt by clicking the link below. We’ll begin our journey there!

Cheers!

Meet me in Zermatt, Switzerland for the Traverse from Lion to Hornli Ridge

Matterhorn, Switzerland

To learn more about the LHC at CERN and the research done there, please click here.

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