New Scientist presents... Instant Expert - Mysteries of Particle Physics

We live in a strange world. Right now, billions upon billions of neutrinos made in the sun are passing through your body. Your lunchtime banana is popping out antimatter. At the core of your being is a chaotic mess of particles we only know as quarks and gluons. Intrigued?

Has all the excitement about the Higgs boson left you wanting to understand what the fundamentals of our material existence are really all about? Join us as we journey to the frontiers of particle physics with six leading experts. On the way, you’ll find out what it was like to discover the Higgs boson, why neutrinos could be the key to a theory of everything, what the missing matter of the universe might be made of, and how particle physics has quietly transformed our everyday lives.

Hosted by acclaimed author Michael Brooks, our one-day masterclass offers the chance to learn directly from the experts in this fascinating field.

Speakers:

-  Jon Butterworth - professor of physics at University College London and author of Smashing Physics: The Inside Story of the Hunt for the Higgs, shortlisted for the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2015

-  David Wark - professor in experimental particle physics at the University of Oxford and Director of the Particle Physics Division at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

-  Val Gibson - professor in high energy physics at the University of Cambridge and UK Spokesperson for the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider

-  Tara Shears - professor of experimental particle physics at the University of Liverpool

-  Tom Whyntie - public engagement fellow at the School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London and author of Introducing Particle Physics: A Graphic Guide

-  Chamkaur Ghag - astroparticle physicist within the High Energy Physics Group at University College London

-  Hosted by Michael Brooks, New Scientist consultant and author of bestseller 13 Things That Don't Make Sense

Overview:

Our best description of matter is so concise that it fits on a T-shirt. Known as the standard model, it paints a mathematical picture of matter at the most fundamental level and of the forces that glue it all together. And it does a brilliant job. Ingenious experiments have tested it to destruction – most famously, at the Large Hadron Collider, which found the Higgs boson, the last missing piece of the standard model, in 2012.

Yet plenty of mysteries remain. The discovery of the Higgs has raised more even questions than it answered. How do neutrinos get their mass? What is dark matter? Where did all the antimatter go? What does all this mean for a theory of everything?

In attempting to answer such frontier questions, physicists have devised technologies that have revolutionised our lives from the World Wide Web and neural networks to faster, targeted cancer therapies. 

Join our speakers on a mind-expanding journey through the world of particle physics.

Topics covered will include:

• Secrets of the Higgs boson
• Why the standard model is only the beginning
• The mystery of existence: why is there something rather than nothing?
• How to hunt for dark matter
• What neutrinos are trying to tell us about the universe
• Can we find a theory of everything?
• What particle physics has done for us

Who should attend?

You are curious about particle physics and want a step-by-step guide without mathematics. Popular articles have whetted your appetite, yet you have struggled to understand physics textbooks. You want to learn about the frontiers of research from scientists at the coalface.

What's included:

• Engaging talks from 6 leading experts in experimental and theoretical particle physics
• Ask-an-expert Question Time session
• Your chance to meet the speakers and host Michael Brooks
• Buffet lunch, plus morning and afternoon refreshments
• Exclusive Instant Expert certificate
• Exclusive New Scientist subscription deal, book and merchandise offers

Booking information:

• The event will be held in the Brunei Auditorium at RCGP / 30 Euston Square.
• Doors to the Auditorium will open at 9:15am, talks will commence at 10am sharp. The event will finish at 5pm.
• We require the name of each person attending - please ensure this is provided at the time of booking. Please notify us as soon as possible if you need to change a name.
  
• Eventbrite will email you your ticket(s) immediately after purchase. Please remember to bring your ticket with you as you'll need it to gain entry. We can scan tickets from a print out, or off the screen of a phone / tablet / smartwatch.
• The ticket price includes a buffet lunch, as well as morning and afternoon refreshments.
• The schedule / exact running order for the day will be confirmed closer to the event, and will be emailed to all ticket holders.
• Refunds on any tickets will only be available up until the 29th January 2016. After this, refunds can only be issued if the event is sold out and we are able to resell your ticket(s). All refund requests should be emailed to: live@newscientist.com
• Should you require details about disabled access, please contact us at: live@newscientist.com
• New Scientist reserves the right to alter the event and its line-up, or cancel the event. In the unlikely event of cancellation, all tickets will be fully refunded. Neither New Scientist nor its parent company will be liable for any additional expenses incurred by ticket holders in relation to the event.
• All tickets are subject to availability and are only available in advance through Eventbrite.
• A minimum of 100 early bird discounted tickets are available priced at £129 (saving £20 on the full ticket price of £149) - the £20 saving is already applied to the ticket price.
• 1 x Couples ticket allows 2 people into the event, saving £59 on the price of an early bird discounted ticket. New Scientist will be in contact with the ticket purchaser prior to the event to confirm the name of the second person attending.