Particle Physics and Some Fun

Friday we had incredibly informative sessions. The last two lectures by Frank Close, who very kindly signed a book for me (thanks Maria) that he has written, contained a great amount of information on forces, and how the four fundamental forces are now viewed. The four forces are the gravitational (which most particle physicists tend to ignore, because it doesn't yet fit into the Standard Model), electromagnetic, strong and weak. In the Standard Model, electromagnetic and weak are two sides of the one force, hence the unifying term electroweak, which now is used for the forces. I am still chewing on all the information and hope to get my head around it, but if there are any questions, post them and I will try to get them answered while I am here (and have access to books and knowledgeable people!)

Going into Geneva last night was wonderful. Having a picnic in the park opposite Lake Geneva was stunning. The city is very beautiful, and I am looking forward to tomorrow's treasure hunt, through the streets of Geneva!

Today was spent in Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva. The world famous jazz festival was starting to come to life and the atmosphere was building up for a great festival.

Getting some rest now, ready for the beginning of week 2 at CERN, next week. :)