Speaker
Description
"Blue sky" research, like the one carried in large particle physics laboratories can be seen by the general public as something daunting, abstract, detached from daily experience and too difficult to understand. On the other hand, people are fascinated by the big questions, and by the complexity of the challenge the scientists are presented with. Since most of the research in fundamental physics is publicly funded, it is important that the public gets engaged beyond the simplistic attitude of "I do not understand it, but it must be great".
CERN has been engaging with public communication since the beginning, and its educational and outreach activities span very different targets, from the general public to students from school or universities. This diversified outreach program can be used as an example on how to convey the message of physics education and outreach even in very different contexts.
The speaker will also present his experience as lecturer in the ICTP-based Physics without Frontiers program.
