Dr Hewitt and Mr Goode took a group of year 13 physicists to Switzerland to see the famous Hadron Collider at CERN.

On our trip to CERN itself, we met two PhD students from Bristol and Birmingham Universities who were searching for a new kind of particle that could change all their existing theories. Then we had a guided tour, which was incredibly detailed. Being A level students we didn’t understand everything we were told about this complex machine, but it was a privilege to be able to ask questions of someone so knowledgeable.

Personally, I was most intrigued by the antiparticle decelerator. Having heard of the existence of antimatter forms of protons, neutrons and electrons, I wondered if you could combine them to make an anti-hydrogen molecule, only to discover that at CERN they are doing just that! Gravitational properties of this anti-hydrogen could reform so many theories that are widely accepted in science today. Being in a place where such important and exciting discoveries are made was just such a unique opportunity.

Whilst we were of course on an educational trip, we had plenty of time for fun activities. Some of us climbed the tower of St Pierre Cathedral, giving a fantastic view of Geneva and the 140m tall water fountain. Others played giant chess in the park. We also had a guided tour of the United Nations Headquarters. One of the evenings left many stuffed after demolishing a commendable amount of cheese fondue. Another evening those of us who were awake enough played pool or went bowling.

We are very thankful to Dr Hewitt and Mr Goode for taking us. We all had a wonderful time.