Media Advisory 09-015
The Science Behind "Angels and Demons" Is No Laughing Antimatter

Particle physicists to brief media and public on real science at CERN; May 19, 1 p.m. EDT

Publicity poster for "Angels and Demons," a Ron Howard film, starring Tom Hanks. Credit and Larger Version

May 13, 2009

On May 15, 2009, Sony Pictures will release "Angels and Demons," and bring the world's largest particle physics laboratory to the silver screen.

Based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel, this major motion picture, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard, focuses on a plot to destroy the Vatican using a small amount of antimatter. That antimatter is made using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and is stolen from the European particle physics laboratory CERN. Parts of the movie were filmed at CERN.

Embracing this opportunity to discuss the real science of antimatter, the LHC and particle physics research, on May 19, 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will host a live media briefing spotlighting three world-renowed physicists.

This NSF live teleconference briefing is part of a larger effort in which, worldwide, scientists working on experiments at the LHC will host lectures and other "Angels & Demons"-related events for members of the press and the public. More than 45 lectures are taking place across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico as part of the series "Angels and Demons: The Science Revealed". Events are also planned in particle physics institutions across Europe, Asia, Central and South America. For more information on the LHC, visit CERN's Web site.

* U.S. participation in the Large Hadron Collider project is supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.

* CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF (703) 292-8311 lzgorski@nsf.gov
Elizabeth Clements, Fermilab (630) 840-2326 lizzie@fnal.gov
Katie Yurkewicz, US LHC Communications +41 76 487 0004 katie.yurkewicz@cern.ch

Related Websites
CERN's Angels and Demons Site: http://angelsanddemons.cern.ch/
Cern's Angels & Demons Lecture Nights: The Science Revealed: http://www.uslhc.us/Angels_Demons
Official "Angels and Demons" Site by Sony Pictures: http://www.angelsanddemons.com/
Hollywood Comes to Cern: /news/longurl.cfm?id=173

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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