Abstract
An outreach programme centred around nuclear physics making use of a LEGO® Mindstorm® kit is presented. It consists of a presentation given by trained undergraduate students as science ambassadors followed by a workshop where the target audience programs the LEGO® Mindstorm® robots to familiarise themselves with the concepts in an interactive and exciting way. This programme has been coupled with the CERN-ISOLDE 50th anniversary and the launch of the CERN-MEDICIS facility in Geneva, Switzerland. The modular aspect of the programme readily allows its application to other topics.
Highlights
Nuclear science bears the stigma of its most visible outcomes of the 20th century, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, or the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in 1986
We introduce the basic concepts of nuclear physics as they apply to the CERN ISOLDE facility as a means to attract the audience’s attention to questions such as fundamental research, nuclear technology and nuclear radiation in general
A new project based on LEGO® Mindstorm® has been developed in the Greater Manchester area in order to address the misconceptions and stigma around nuclear physics
Summary
Nuclear science bears the stigma of its most visible outcomes of the 20th century, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, or the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in 1986. Behind those very visible events, many more activities have contributed to the bad reputation of nuclear research, such as the decades of environmental nuclear military testing or minor civil nuclear incidents around the globe. Extensive work is performed in many facilities worldwide in order to better understand how a star lives, breathes, and comes to pass, as well as all other forms of exotic galactic events that might be powered by the nuclear force. This, in turn, shows where most of the effort is currently required in order to sensitize the population to the importance of nuclear research for societal impact
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