Expedition to the Future – Day 3: Exploring CERN and Meeting the World
Monday was a very special day in our journey — our first full day at CERN, the most famous science centre in the world. It was a day filled with new knowledge, amazing discoveries, and something even more valuable — new international friendships.
In the morning, we joined students from Thailand and Malta for a welcome session. Everyone was excited, a little nervous, but very curious. Even though we came from different countries, we shared the same goal — to learn more about the universe and how science helps us understand it. CERN brought us together.
We then went to the main auditorium for an inspiring lecture by Emmanuel Tsesmelis, a senior CERN physicist. He told us about how CERN was created, why it matters, and how scientists from all over the world work here to answer big questions about space, time, and matter. Sitting in that room, we felt like part of something truly global — and truly important.
Later in the day, we visited two incredible places. First was the Synchrocyclotron — CERN’s first accelerator. It’s no longer in use, but standing there and seeing how it all started made us appreciate how far science has come. After that, we went to the ATLAS Visitor Centre, where we learned about one of the largest experiments ever built. It was here that scientists discovered the famous Higgs boson. The models, videos, and stories helped us imagine what it’s like to work on something so big and complex.
But maybe the best part of the day was not only what we saw, but who we met. Our students talked and laughed with students from Malta and Thailand, took photos together, shared snacks, and even started following each other on social media. It was clear — science doesn’t belong to one country. It belongs to all of us.
As we returned to the hotel, we realised how lucky we are to be part of this experience. CERN is more than just machines and theories — it’s a place where people from all over the world come together to dream, build, and understand. And today, we were part of that.
Tomorrow, we go even deeper into this world of discovery. The expedition continues.
