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Breaking barriers: the impact of ATLAS Virtual Visits in science communication

ATLAS Collaboration

TL;DR

The paper analyzes the ATLAS Virtual Visits program as a scalable, multilingual platform that makes frontier particle physics accessible worldwide without travel. It documents the program’s evolution—from control-room broadcasts to the Visitor Centre and underground cavern tours—along with a data-driven view of global participation (nearly 70 countries since 2019) and language diversity across 19 languages. Through case studies in Brazil and Greece, and evidence from participant feedback, the authors demonstrate educational and outreach benefits, including curricular integration and inspiration for STEM careers. Looking forward, the paper outlines plans for broader reach, AI-assisted translation, additional venues, and collaborations with other CERN experiments to enhance science communication impact.

Abstract

The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider is at the forefront of particle physics research and is equally committed to bridging the gap between cutting-edge science and the wider public. Since 2010, the ATLAS Virtual Visits programme has provided live, interactive tours of the ATLAS detector and control room to global audiences in their language, without the need to travel. The programme has grown significantly since its inception, as demonstrated by quantitative data collected since January 2019 and case studies of large-scale implementations in Brazil and Greece. The impact on individual participants is also discussed.

Breaking barriers: the impact of ATLAS Virtual Visits in science communication

TL;DR

The paper analyzes the ATLAS Virtual Visits program as a scalable, multilingual platform that makes frontier particle physics accessible worldwide without travel. It documents the program’s evolution—from control-room broadcasts to the Visitor Centre and underground cavern tours—along with a data-driven view of global participation (nearly 70 countries since 2019) and language diversity across 19 languages. Through case studies in Brazil and Greece, and evidence from participant feedback, the authors demonstrate educational and outreach benefits, including curricular integration and inspiration for STEM careers. Looking forward, the paper outlines plans for broader reach, AI-assisted translation, additional venues, and collaborations with other CERN experiments to enhance science communication impact.

Abstract

The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider is at the forefront of particle physics research and is equally committed to bridging the gap between cutting-edge science and the wider public. Since 2010, the ATLAS Virtual Visits programme has provided live, interactive tours of the ATLAS detector and control room to global audiences in their language, without the need to travel. The programme has grown significantly since its inception, as demonstrated by quantitative data collected since January 2019 and case studies of large-scale implementations in Brazil and Greece. The impact on individual participants is also discussed.
Paper Structure (15 sections, 7 figures)

This paper contains 15 sections, 7 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Concept, evolution and expansion
  3. Participation and global reach
  4. Worldwide participation
  5. Languages and accessibility
  6. Open Virtual Visits and social media
  7. Educational and outreach impact
  8. The multi-faceted impact of Virtual Visits
  9. Examples of feedback on the impact
  10. Case studies of impactful ATLAS Virtual Visits
  11. Long-standing educational initiatives in Brazil
  12. New educational initiatives in Greece
  13. Training and engagement of hosts
  14. Future outlook
  15. Conclusion

Figures (7)

  • Figure 1: Timeline showing key milestones in the evolution of the ATLAS Virtual Visits programme from 2010 to 2025. The figure highlights the launch of visits from the ATLAS control room, the relocation to the ATLAS Visitor Centre, the introduction of underground cavern visits in 2019, and subsequent system upgrades.
  • Figure 2: Total number of ATLAS Virtual Visits per year from 2019 to 2025.
  • Figure 3: Country participation between 2019 and 2025: (a) number of countries per year and (b) number of visits per country per year for top participating countries.
  • Figure 4: World map showing the number of Virtual Visits for all participating countries between 2019 and 2025.
  • Figure 5: Language participation between 2019 and 2025: (a) number of languages per year and (b) number of visits per language per year for the most used languages.
  • ...and 2 more figures