Today: opening of the new permanent exhibition designed and made by the Museum to discover the tools and work of those who explore the infinitely small
Milan, July 12, 2016. The new permanent exhibition “Extreme. In search of particles” opens to the public on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. The exhibition is the first of its kind in Italy and is designed and produced by the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in partnership with CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research, and INFN - National Institute of Nuclear Physics.
The exhibition allows us to catch a glimpse of a fascinating research area, which explores the texture of matter in its most minute components. In this search of the fundamental building blocks of our universe, thousands of scientists from all over the world converge around extremely large structures and ever more powerful machines. Extreme sheds light on what happens in the laboratories of two of the largest research centres for particle physics. Visitors find small and large scale objects with a clear historical value, along with multimedia and interactive installations.
Fiorenzo Galli, Director General of the Museum “For the Museum it is of great importance to promote the dialogue between scientists and citizens, also on issues of fundamental research. In collaboration with research institutions of excellence such as CERN and INFN, the decision to conceive a permanent exhibition on particle physics for different audiences represents a great responsibility as well as a complex challenge. From tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people a year will be involved in the experience of visiting an original exhibition that describes research results and working models in which the Italian scientific community plays such a decisive role.”
Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director General “It's not only the town where I grew up, but also my Alma Mater, so Milano has a very special place in my heart. It is therefore particularly pleasing for me to see this superb exhibition about particle physics opening here. CERN has been very happy to contribute to its development, working with the Leonoardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology and INFN to create something truly inspiring that I’m sure the museum’s visitors will enjoy for many years to come.”
Fernando Ferroni, President of INFN - National Institute of Nuclear Physics “The National Institute for Nuclear Physics is one of the protagonists of recent extraordinary discoveries in Physics, such as the Higgs boson and the gravitational waves. These achievements are deeply rooted in a tradition of excellence, in the restless work of a community of scientists around the world and in the innovation capacity at the frontier of present technology, to which the national industries have greatly contributed. We are proud to have supported the development of this new space at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, dedicated to particle physics.Thanks to it, the public will know this story and get closer to the protagonists of these researches. This and similar initiatives are increasingly part of the mission of the most important research Institutions, such as INFN and CERN”.
The narrative of the exhibition kicks off with the idea of “traces”, understood as elements that allow us to recognize and reconstruct an event that cannot be observed directly. Like many other scientific disciplines - from archaeology to forensic science - particle physics also relies on the observation of tracks. The exhibition continues showing the devices used by physicists to reveal tracks of the particles, the detectors. Through first-hand experiences, the exhibition allows us to experience the "cosmic silence" pursued by researchers under water or underground, in the extreme environments that host the detectors.
An area of the exhibition also tells about the daily life of physicists, engineers and technicians working on experiments. Three different interactive installations present the current state of knowledge about subatomic particles and about two issues that are still under study and debate: the existence of dark matter and extra-dimensions.
A significant part of the exhibition is devoted to accelerators, devices that allow to create new particles and new tracks that can be investigated, by colliding particles at increasing energies. This is the area where the LHC – the large ring accelerator currently in use at CERN – is the real protagonist. Admission to the exhibition is included in the Museum general admission ticket.
VISITOR INFORMATION National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci
Address: Entrance Via San Vittore 21 20123 Milano | Exit via Olona 6 20123 Milano
Opening hours: until September 11, 2016: Tue-Fri 10 am – 6.00 pm; Sat, Sun and Holidays: 10 am – 19 pm From September 12, 2016: Tue - Fri: 9.30 am – 5.00 pm; Sat, Sun and Holidays: 9.30 am – 6.30 pm. Closing days: Monday (open on Holiday Mondays and the 15th of August), 25th of December, 1st of January
Tickets: full price 10,00 € | concessions 7,50 € for: under 25; adults accompanying children under 14 (max 2 adults); over 65; groups of over 10 people; teachers of public and private schools; conventions special 4,50 €: students accompanied by teachers on booked visit; Free entrance for: disabled visitors and accompanying person; children under 3 Tickets can be purchased directly at the Museum’s front desk or on the Museum’s website
MUST SHOP: Tue- Sun: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm. Closed on Mondays. Membership card The ticket office sells 3 types of membership cards offering free access to the Museum for the card holder and one accompanying person or family member.
www.museoscienza.org | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | T 02 48 555 1
Social media Facebook: facebook.com/museoscienza Twitter: @Museoscienza Instagram: museoscienza Youtube: youtube.com/museoscienza
PRESS CONTACTS
National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci Press Office - Deborah Chiodoni T +39 02 48555 450 / M +39 339 1536030 Paola Cuneo T +39 02 48555 343 / M + 39 338 1573807 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CERN Press Office Arnaud Marsollier T +41 22 767 41 01 C +41 75 411 2789 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
INFN - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Communication Office Antonella Varaschin T +39 06 6868162 C +39 349 5384481 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
