Science on Tour

Environmental & Science Education, STEM

Ed Hessler

"It all started with Peter Gabriel," writes Madeleine O'Keefe in Symmetry (6.13.2023) where she describes the beginnings of "a group called the Big Bang Collective (which) sets up physics discovery stations at rather unexpected venues: music festivals."  

The first was a "Physics Pavilion" created for Peter Gabriel's 2016 World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD), an annual event, at Charlton Park, Wiltshire, UK.

O'Keefe describes how this idea has grown in a moderately long but essential history. Her story may be read here.

If you want to get to the action straightaway these are some links. 

A short YouTube video (1 m 26 s) of a WOMAD's Science Pavillion.

This takes you to the Big Bang Stage at ICHEP 2020 where you can watch oscilloscope music, a cartoon/live film of a typical day of a particle physicist, a participatory show, listen to a rain forest remotely, the physics of beer, space, hear scientists talking about how research on fundamental questions about the universe directly benefits humankind, read the speaker's list which includes short biographies and learn about ICHEP.

And finally a description of the the Big Bang Collective with some of the key events in which it has participated.