CERN

Today was a free day for us, so we decided to go to CERN. For those of you who have read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, you will remember that CERN was the place where it all started. It is the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and it is a group of physicists who are trying to understand how the universe was created. They are involved in colliding atomic particles together and measuring the forces they create. They are also trying to discover new particles that they think will explain the missing pieces of information they are lacking. Some refer to it as looking for the "God factor". The particles are collided using a Large Hadron Collider that is located underground about 100 meters and is encompassed in a tunnel approximately 27 km in circumference. We were able to go through their museum and particle exhibit. As we were watching a movie, they were referring to parts of the atom that I had never heard of when I took highschool physics. Then they said that these were not even discovered until the 1980's and later. No wonder, I was in high-school in the 70's! Very interesting stuff that goes way over my simple brain, but fascinating all the same. I mainly wanted to see it because I was so consumed in the book. Later Haley and I went to the mall and ate at McDonald's. Yes, believe it or not, we did come all the way to Geneva to eat at McDonald's. Actually it's the cheapest place to eat here. Very expensive, all the same though. On our way home, we of course had to stop at the Patessier Shop (pastry and chocolate shop) to pick up a pastry. Tomorrow we have a pretty full day and Matt and Jade are coming! So until the next post...