During the past century particle physics has provided incredible insights into the nature of matter, and the origin and fate of the universe. Theories have been tested and, through an almost-Darwinian process, only those that are substantiated by experiment survive. Along the way, the technological advances made to facilitate our studies have found their way into everyday life for the benefit of mankind, through communication techniques, medical imaging and disease treatment, to name but a few. The present experiments are able to measure phenomena to a precision that was not dreamt of when they began construction, and there are solid plans for continuing the exploration through to the 22nd century, to help answer the many questions that remain and bring further insight into the Universe.
We (the HEP community) are all convinced of the overwhelming benefits our basic research has for humanity. But, as we face increasing challenges for resources, both financial and personnel, as well as environmental concerns for example, for the field to thrive for the next century it is vital to bring the rest of the world with us on our journey. Education and Outreach (E&O) plays a vital role in engaging non-HEP audiences, from school students to educators, to the general public and politicians, in order to gather support for our research and attract young people into fundamental science.
One of the key goals of the E&O activities at ICHEP was to encourage more of our community to take part, to show them how this could be done whilst highlighting the many benefits to the individuals involved. To this aim, three half-day parallel sessions gave the opportunity for 29 people to showcase their new E&O activities and provide information on how these can be re-used and evolved by others. These were complemented by 10 posters and a well-attended Panel Discussion that explored the role that communications, education and outreach needs to play in our field. This latter featured senior physicists as well as professional communicators.
This paper summarises many of the Education & Outreach activities, as well as the Panel Discussion.
