For this episode we’re in the Faraway Forest at Latitude Festival with particle physicist Professor Jon Butterworth. Jon works on the Large Hadron Collider’s ATLAS experiment at CERN. Not sure what any of those things are? No problem! Jon describes them and his work brilliantly.

In this episode Jon (Butterworth) and UNSA’s Director of Human Spaceflight (other) Jon Spooner talk about

• what particle physics even is
• why it is worth dedicating your life to physics
• Jon B’s 5 billion year old wedding ring
• what CERN, the Large Hadron Collider and the ATLAS experiment are
• what the Higgs Boson is
• what the most exciting words in science are
• what the High Luminosity Upgrade is
• what is dark energy and dark matter
• if you’re 10 now (or looking for a career change) how do you go about being part of finding out what dark matter is?

… and Jon answers questions on:

• what his favourite particle is
• are there any other universes?
• how do you know you’re looking at the right things with the LHC?
• do you ever work with artists to come up with your weird ideas?

Enjoy!

 

LINKS

Jon on Twitter @jonmbutterworth

Jon’s blog lifeandphysics.com

BUY HIS BOOK Smashing Physics

 

CREDITS

Presenters: Jon Spooner & Mini Jon

Sound Engineer & Editor: Andy Wood

Additional sound design: Elena Pena

Music: Public Service Broadcasting

Producers: Jon Spooner, Alice Massey, Sarah Webb for Unlimited

Consultancy: Storythings

Graphic Design: Lee Goater

The Unlimited Space Agency and The Space Shed are projects of Unlimited Theatre

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