Where world’s physicists work and play!

Geneva / DPA

For more than 60 years, scientists from all over the world have been coming to CERN, the high-tech laboratory that straddles the Franco-Swiss border.
You might not know this, but studious CERN is also a kind of playground for brainy people who work hard and play hard. The fun side makes it easier for particle physicists who speak many languages to get along with one another.
“Scientists from all kinds of countries and cultures work closely together here,” says Fabiola Gianotti, who became CERN’s first female director-general last year.
Despite their differences, the 11,000 scientists have the same aim, says the Italian, as they explore some of life’s most fundamental questions (what is the universe made of?) with the help of the famous large Hadron Collider, a huge tunnel where particles hit screens at incredible speeds.
The great perk of being at CERN is that you’re in Switzerland, which is clean, green and luxurious. The Alpine snowfields are just a short drive away and nearby Lake Geneva has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world.
Because the scientists aren’t just bound by a love of physics, there are also all kinds of clubs on the campus, from photography societies to jazz and dancing clubs.
All are coordinated by leisure director Rachel Bray, who organizes events in CERN. “The clubs have more than 6,000 members with the favourite being the skiing club,” says the Briton. The gym is also popular. But despite what you might expect at a technically advanced place like CERN, pumping iron in what used to be an old water-pumping station is pretty low-tech.
The press benches are outdated and worn and there are none of the nice machines seen at most modern health studios.
Nuclear physicist Andree Welker is still a fan though.
“It’s very practical. That way even physicists can stay full of energy,” says the German, who is working on his doctorate and is taking part in the so-called ISOLDE experiment, which is determining the mass of elements with the help of radioactive isotopes.
The 30-year-old wears a measuring device around his neck which monitors his body’s exposure to radiation. Currently it reads, “Not contaminated” – surely one of the nicest things a physicist can read after a hard day’s work.
“The team work here is motivating and the internationality is impressive,” says 36-year-old German particle physicist Susanne Kuehn, who has been working at CERN for years. In 2012, after decades of searching, the scientists made a major breakthrough when they discovered the Higgs boson particle, which gives everything in the universe its mass.
But that wouldn’t have been possible without teamwork, Kuhn says.
“You can be a brilliant physicist but if you’re on your own in the laboratory you won’t get anywhere, says Kuehn.
Over the years the campus has evolved into a town to service the needs of the scientists, including a fire brigade and an emergency medical department.
The town, sandwiched between Lake Geneva and the French region of Jura, has shops, restaurants, hotels, a post office and nurseries for the scientists’ children.
The official languages on campus are English and French.
The streets which link the more than 600 buildings are named after world-famous scientists like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie and the enormous chambers holding some of the world’s most advanced equipment make the visitor feel like they’re in the middle of a science-fiction film.