18 April 2013

'The Higgs boson - just what is it, and what's next?' - rearranged Café Science Extra on 24th April

The Higgs boson has been one of the biggest news stories of recent years, but few people actually know what it is.

This is something that Dr Aidan Robson will hope to start putting right at the next a Café Science Extra event at Dundee Science Centre on Wednesday, 24th April. This event was initially scheduled to take place in February but had to be cancelled to severe weather.

Dr Robson will also ask what happens now the Higgs boson has been found, as he explains, in layman terms, what one of the most exciting scientific discoveries of recent years means for the man in the street.

Café Science Extra allows members of the public to meet with up-and-coming scientists from the Universities of Dundee and Abertay, the James Hutton Institute, and Dundee Science Centre.

In response to requests from visitors for a talk exploring the Higgs boson, a guest visit from Dr Robson, a particle physicist at the University of Glasgow who played a vital role in the experiments which led to the identification of the Higgs boson, has been arranged.

Event organiser Dr Jon Urch, Public Engagement Coordinator at the University of Dundee, said, "In 1964, Edinburgh physicist Peter Higgs predicted the existence of a new fundamental building block of our Universe: the Higgs boson.

"In 2012, with the aid of the biggest scientific instrument ever built, the Large Hadron Collider, a new particle thought to be the boson was observed to great international acclaim.

"But, what does that mean for all of us and what happens next? We're delighted to be welcoming someone who took part in the experiments along to tell us and to have been able to reschedule this event after we disappointingly had to cancel earlier this year."

Café Science was launched in January 2008, and has attracted over 4000 visitors since then. The monthly events are informal discussions led by leading local researchers that allow members of the public the opportunity to learn more about the ground-breaking science happening in Dundee.

'The Higgs boson - just what is it, and what's next?' takes place at Infusions Coffee Shop, Dundee Science Centre, at 6pm on Wednesday, 24th February. Doors open at 5.30pm, and the event is free and open to all. There is no need to book in advance but an early arrival is recommended.

More information is available at www.cafesciencedundee.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277