Higgs@10 and 2008 LHC switch on - Alumni Memories with Cristy Burne

CERN Alumni: Cristy Burne

Today: Science writer and children's author in Perth, Australia

What memories do you have from 2008 when the LHC was first switched on?

"2008: I remember the huge excitement as everyone gathered in the theatre to watch as the LHC was turned on for the first time. All the world's media was watching, everyone was there... We were all chatting nervously, glued to the big screen. And then a huge cheer went up around the whole room. And we all went back to work. It was super-fun, super-uniting, super-motivating to be part of such a huge international collaboration."

What is your best memory of working at CERN? 

"I loved how collegial it was, and how everyone was so friendly, so relaxed, and yet working with such passion and intensity. I loved an afternoon walk across to Restaurant 2 for a coffee and a Daim, and how the mountains and fresh air and wildflowers and hilarious chat would reinvigorate me even before a sip of coffee passed my lips :-)"

What skills did you develop during your CERN work experience which have been particularly useful in your subsequent career trajectory? 

"Working with people from all over the world, working under pressure and to deadlines, how to take complex science-talk and distil it into something ordinary people would be interested in."