what is the cern
CERN is the world's largest particle physics laboratory. It is one of the most respected centres for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics: finding out what the universe is made of and how it works. Complex scientific instruments are used at CERN to study the basic constituents of matter â the fundamental particles. By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists learn about the laws of Nature. The instruments used at CERN are particle accelerators and detectors.