August 29, 2012
Shambala: Particle Zoo Safari
We went on a quest for some strange wildlife in the wilds of Shambala: subatomic particles, the fundamental bits and pieces of the universe.
Three quarks – two up, one down – joined together in their strange, tri-coloured amorous union to form a proton.
An electron, darting this way and that with boundless energy, joined them to form a hydrogen atom.
Three more quarks joined us, creating a second proton, soon paired with their own electron. Our electrons, repelling and despising each other, spiraled round both our protons in a polyamorous union, forming a covalent bond (considered kinky to some).
We pushed the atoms together to form helium – releasing photons, and creating sunlight!
For the grand finale, we crashed them together in our particle accelerator -
revealing the star of the show, the Higgs boson!
Without daring to let it get away, we snagged it with a net and dragged it back into our tent.
The end.
Sponsored by the wonderful STFC, made in partnership with designer Patrick Stevenson-Keating and particle physicist Dr Ben Still.
Check the write up in The Guardian, with a short film edited by Thom Hoffman, after we held the event for the first time at the Secret Garden Party in July.
July 27, 2012
Particle Zoo Safari In The Guardian
Check out our blog post in The Guardian about our Particle Zoo Safari!
We staged a safari featuring quarks, electrons and bosons to help demystify particle physics, a collaboration between Guerilla Science and Patrick Stevenson-Keating, with scientific advice from physicist Dr James Monk. Film production by Thom Hoffman with assistance from Olivia Koski.
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