How to handle a radioactive nucleus: ISOLDE 50th anniversary robot competition

核物理领域在公众心目中的形象因其与灾难（广岛和长崎、切尔诺贝利、塞拉菲尔德、福岛）的联系而大受影响。因此，该项目的第一个目标是解决14-16奥尔兹青少年对核物理的误解;明确核能、核工程和核武器之间的区别;并介绍当前核研究的概念。这将包括实际问题，如放射性风险，放射性材料处理和废物管理，以及核物理学的基本问题：物质如何结合在一起？它是从哪里来的？这些想法将在CERN ISOLDE正在进行的工作的背景下介绍给学生，次要目的是提高公众对该设施，其历史，正在进行的研究以及英国参与的认识。这将配合即将到来的设施成立50周年。为了将这些概念以一种吸引人的、可访问的方式传达给目标受众，该方案将以机器人竞赛为主题，学校将面临建造和编程类似于ISOLDE目标处理系统的乐高机器人的挑战。这个实用的动手活动将是一个有趣的机器人介绍，编程元素将建立在学校可能已经开展的活动的一部分，作为2014年的"代码年“。十名本科生”科学大使“将接受培训，提供围绕核物理和ISOLDE的学校研讨会，并介绍乐高Mindstorms机器人套件将用于该计划的竞争部分。每个学校将获得一个头脑风暴工具包，并指派一名科学大使担任“机器人教练”。与学生科学大使的这种持续接触将使来自十所学校的学生有机会与物理本科生非正式地谈论他或她的学术道路和职业计划，目的是提高愿望并促进物理学作为A-Level及以后的学科选择。

The field of nuclear physics suffers greatly in the public image from its association with catastrophes (Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Tchernobyl, Sellafield, Fukushima). The first aim of this project is therefore to tackle misconceptions about nuclear physics among 14-16 year olds; to make clear the distinction between nuclear power, nuclear engineering and nuclear weaponry; and to introduce concepts from current nuclear research. This will include both practical issues such as radiological risks, radioactive material handling and waste management, and the fundamental questions of nuclear physics: How does matter hold together? Where does it come from?These ideas will be introduced to the students in the context of the work going on at CERN ISOLDE, with the secondary aim of raising public awareness of this facility, its history, ongoing research, and the UK's involvement. This will tie into the upcoming 50th anniversary of the facility's foundation. In order to communicate these concepts to the target audience in an engaging, accessible way, the programme will be themed around a robotics competition, where schools will be challenged to build and program a LEGO robot analogous to the ISOLDE target handling system. This practical, hands-on activity will be a fun introduction to robotics, and the programming element will build on activities schools may have undertaken as part of 2014's 'year of code'.Ten undergraduate 'science ambassadors' will be trained to deliver a schools workshop around nuclear physics and ISOLDE, and introducing the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit to be used in the competition part of the programme. Each school will then be provided with a Mindstorms kit and assigned a science ambassador to act as 'robotics coach'. This ongoing contact with a student science ambassador will give pupils from ten schools an opportunity to talk informally to a physics undergraduate about his or her academic path and careers plans, with the aim of raising aspirations and promoting physics as a subject choice at A-Level and beyond.