EPS Edison Volta Prize 2012 awards CERN LHC
The European Physical Society [EPS], the Centro di Cultura Scientifica “Alessandro Volta” and Edison S.p.A. are proud to announce the award of the 2012 EPS Edison Volta Prize for outstanding contributions to physics to:
- Rolf Dieter Heuer, CERN Director General,
- Sergio Bertolucci, CERN Director for Research and Computing,
- Stephen Myers, CERN Director for Accelerators and Technology,
for having led, building on decades of dedicated work by their predecessors, the culminating efforts in the direction, research and operation of the CERN Large Hadron Collider [LHC], which resulted in many significant advances in high energy particle physics, in particular, the first evidence of a Higgs-like boson in July 2012.
The long citation of the prize is available on the EPS website.
Since CERN was founded in 1954, its principal mission has been “to understand the mystery of nature for the benefit of humankind.” To push the frontiers of science, today’s 20 CERN Member States have pooled their resources to create one of the world’s leading international organisations for the advancement of science. Over the past 58 years, CERN has acquired a reputation for scientific excellence. The Nobel prize has been awarded 5 times to physicists and their discoveries for their work at CERN, attesting to its significant contributions to fundamental research.
CERN’s scientific and technological achievements, starting from the first Synchro-Cyclotron [SC] until now, have always been outstanding. The Large Hadron Collider [LHC] and its experiments are a unique realization that surpasses all expectations, operating now at the highest levels of energy and luminosity ever reached with particle accelerators.
Fundamental research has led the scientists and technicians working at CERN with the support of funding Agencies and in partnership with Universities and Laboratories all over the world, as well as with private companies, to develop an impressive number of forefront innovative technologies with applications in many different fields: accelerators, magnets, detectors and instruments, electronics, materials, communication, computing and data storage etc. Today CERN’s mission is to boost the development of all cutting-edge solutions to be used by the worldwide LHC community and beyond.
CERN has recognised the necessity of enhancing the dialog between scientists and the public and policy makers. Outreach and public understanding activities include seminars, traveling lectures, exhibits and hands on experiments. Teacher programmes and teacher resources are also developed at CERN.
In addition to the 20 Member States, around 50 other countries have cooperation agreements with CERN. Shaping international cooperation around a common scientific goal was part of the vision foreseen for CERN. Scientists from all over the world work together harmoniously at CERN, representing all regions, religions and cultures.
CERN has become the paradigm for scientific excellence, international cooperation, and innovation. This has become possible through the talent and dedication of the thousands of scientists and technicians working at this prestigious institution, and through the support of the CERN Member States and partner countries around the world. This is what this prize, together with the outstanding LHC achievement, would also like to acknowledge.
