For the first time in eight years the UK’s world-leading science and innovation campus at Harwell welcomed thousands of school children to explore world-leading science up close.
On Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th 2024, Harwell commenced its open week by welcoming over 2,000 students, ranging from primary school to sixth form.
The students had the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and discover some of the world’s most cutting-edge research through taking part in space-themed escape rooms, hands-on arts and crafts, lectures, and interactive workshops and tours with the UK’s national laboratories operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Diamond Light Source hosted tours and workshops, guiding groups around the synchrotron and explaining how the machine functions. Younger children had the opportunity to learn about the synchrotron’s different magnets and made a beaded “magnet” bracelet to take home.
Across the site, students also met the scientists and technicians who are responsible for the biggest breakthroughs and discoveries on the UK’s behalf that have included in recent years the Nobel prize winning work of recording gravitational waves from the collision of black holes and also the detection of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN.
The culmination of the week will be on Saturday June 29th when Harwell opens its doors to the public. The public day is a family-friend event designed for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Read more on Diamond website