CERN Director-General Mark Thomson explores the future of the world’s leading physics lab and the discoveries shaping its next chapter.

This page is for ‘in person’ Theatre tickets only. For online tickets,go to this online page (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discourse-cern-the-past-present-and-future-online-tickets-1992996906397?aff=oddtdtcreator). Both in person and online ticket holders will have access to the event recording.

For decades, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, or CERN as it’s more commonly known, has been the home of world-leading particle physics. From the discovery of W and Z bosons in 1983, via the creation of antihydrogens in 1995, to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) finding the Higgs Boson in 2012, CERN has been a global hub for innovation and international collaboration. But what is next?

In this Discourse, particle physicist and CERN's Director-General, Mark Thomson, will explain the past present and future of research at one of the world's most successful research facilities. As the LHC prepares to restart at higher energies than ever, Mark will look ahead to the upcoming experiments, and uncover what physicists hope to find.

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Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.

Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion.

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Find out more about the history of Discourses on our blog (https://www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/unheard-history-friday-evening-discourses).

The doors will open at approximately 6.45pm, and all ticket holders must take their seats by 7.20pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm. There will be a brief question/answer period after the talk.

Latecomers will be admitted to the gallery.

Event image by Ramaz photos via CERN

Description supplied by the event organiser.