CERN will develop an e-learning game, building on experiences with primitive prototypes already developed by CERN, in which players try to “tune” a simulation of high-energy particle collisions to give an optimal description of a chosen set of reference data, while simultaneously learning about particle physics. Ultimately, it should be possible for a Mrs. Smith, playing “Virtual Atom Smasher” in her spare time, to find a parameter set which is superior to the default one (which provides a natural scoring target). While playing the game, she receives instruction about each measured quantity, and about each simulation parameter, thus learning about the physics she is exposed to, at a level connecting directly with the real science. As more data becomes available and as better theory models are constructed, fresh challenges and updated knowledge are continually supplied in the ordinary course of science. For example, Mrs. Smith may hope to beat the score she obtained with the 2011 version of a simulation code by changing to the newly released 2012 one. And unless someone beats her to it, it may again be her parameter set that the experts will consult for possible inclusion in the next code releases, thus propagating the improvements back to the scientific community and, ultimately, to the precision that can be obtained in the LHC measurements.
The development takes place in four stages.
Educational Object Link