FERMUN opening ceremony -- Tuesday 7 January 2025 15h-16h30 room XX ---  PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE - Subject to change ·       welcome speech by Ms Valovaya ·       welcome speech by Ms Husny ·       welcome speech by M ·       welcome video by Fermun team  ·       speech by Ms Baudry ·       speech by Ms Bogdan Martin ·       speech by Ms Thuaudet deputy RP France ·        speech by Ms Gaivile Stankeviciene, Head of the social affairs section at the EU Delegation France – Lycée International Ferney-Voltaire  Morocco – Lycée Français International Louis-Massignon Saudi Arabia – Najd National Schools  United States of America – Miami Country Day School  The 18th-century French writer Voltaire is remembered for his witty satire and social critique Less well-known is the time he drank fresh bull’s blood for science As described in his Philosophical Dictionary in 1764 Voltaire conducted this peculiar experiment to dispel an equally strange myth dating back to ancient times: that bull’s blood was a deadly poison Ancient Greek scholars believed that bull’s blood solidified rapidly in the throat when swallowed “The blood congeals easily,” Nicander explained in the hollow of [the victim’s] stomach the breath is straitened within his clogged throat often struggling in convulsions on the ground he gasps bespattered with foam.” To treat this gruesome condition of which some (fresh figs in vinegar) sound easier to obtain than others (the milk of a hare or deer) as well as real historical figures like the Greek commander Themistocles who was said to have drunk bull’s blood rather than follow orders from the King of Persia to lead an army against his fellow Greeks “I was so lulled by those tales during my childhood that, in the end, I made one of my bulls bleed,” Voltaire wrote in his Dictionary, in a chapter on the natural history of poisons He expressed skepticism of the ancient claims pointing out that people in the French countryside “swallow beef’s blood every day” in blood sausage and other dishes Although Voltaire didn’t say whether the fresh blood was difficult to stomach he confirmed that he did not fall writhing and choking to the ground Referencing a historical account of the Central Asian Tatars drinking horse blood Voltaire wrote that bull’s blood “did no more harm to me than horse blood did to the Tatars or blood sausage does to us every day—especially when it’s not too fatty.” not any inherent toxicity of the blood itself “we must find a reason—a natural and probable reason—why the ancients would believe a story so easily disproved.” Kitchell noted that almost all the famous deaths attributed to bull’s blood “are located in the East in general and show a special affinity for Persia.” The Ancient Greeks associated Persia with advanced knowledge of poisons And metaphorical names for plants were just as common in ancient times as they are today Could “bull’s blood” originally have been the name of a poisonous plant that was later taken literally Using Nicander’s account of the symptoms of bull’s blood poisoning The description of bull’s blood clotting in the throat might be a mistaken account of the victim coughing up clots of their own blood which can be induced by some poisonous plants Because bull’s blood is used for suicide in ancient literature Kitchell inferred that it was a difficult poison to conceal in food or drink The name might indicate a dark red color and possibly a specific danger to cattle as some poisonous plants are infamous for harming livestock that graze on them Kitchell identified three plants that fit his criteria: tansy and cowbane (the latter named for its tendency to kill cattle) “But even if the exact plant or plants remain unknown,” Kitchell wrote “the strong likelihood remains that ‘bull’s blood’ is to be identified as the Eastern used almost exclusively for suicides in the East.” Ancient medical writers often repeated the words of earlier sources uncritically described Nicander’s work as containing “absurd errors due to popular superstition alongside exact descriptions of plants and medical prescriptions so detailed and precise that the remedy could be made up today.” That the myth of bull’s blood being poisonous persisted for so long serves as a reminder to always check the trustworthiness of one’s sources Unless you happen to be as bold as Voltaire who decided to test the outrageous claim on himself We may never know exactly what the original “bull’s blood” was As Voltaire wrote after downing his grisly beverage: “Be certain that Themistoceles did not die from it.” We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us We do so using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments Know more The Higgs Boson The W boson The Z boson The Large Hadron Collider The Birth of the web Antimatter Latest news Media News The research programme at CERN covers topics from kaons to cosmic rays and from the Standard Model to supersymmetry See all resources CERN was guest of honour of the City of Ferney-Voltaire for the Fête de la Science organised by the association Pangloss in the gardens of the Château de Voltaire The historic Orangery and Garden have turned into a science village housing the stands of nearly thirty associations and scientific institutions. 2,000 visitors of all ages came to enjoy the wide range of activities CERN offered a great number of activities. Visitors were able to visit the LHC and the Computing Centre with virtual-reality headsets. They analysed particle collisions in search of the Higgs boson with the "Connect the dots" activity. The little ones revisited the aesthetics of the ATLAS experiment with a colouring book. The majority of visitors left with a badge showing the elementary particle best reflecting their personality after responding to the quiz “Particle Identities”. And physics demonstrations with everyday objects impressed both young and old the three "Fun with Physics" shows have sold out! The impressive explorations of the states of matter and the effects of liquid nitrogen have met a great success Nearly 20 CERN volunteers brilliantly represented their laboratory adapting perfectly to the expectations of the general public to explain their daily activities. Thank you to them Do you work at CERN and want to become a volunteer at local events? Join our Workplace Group CERN outreach events volunteers More Social Media Accounts 26/06/2015 By In 1755 the French writer known to most by his nom de plume Voltaire was on the run from an angry Frederick the Great who he’d offended with some of his writing He first headed to Paris only to find that King Louis XV of France had banned him from the city From there he sought refuge in Geneva where he bought an estate He was welcomed at first but then life became difficult when one of his publications was banned Geneva’s ban on his beloved art of theatre also made living there less than ideal In 1759 he bought the estate of Ferney directly across the border in France and moved there from Geneva Geneva’s ban on theatre was a key reason behind his move Voltaire was responsible for setting up watchmaking and pottery industries in Ferney along with theatres to serve a mainly theatre-deprived Geneva audience across the border After the French revolution his name was included in the town’s name to honour his contribution to the region which was his home for 20 years from 1759 to 1778 Every year in Ferney-Voltaire the town celebrates his life and works at La Fête à Voltaire (Voltaire Festival) with music, dance, fireworks, costumes and of course theatre! If you feel the urge to soak up some of the region’s heritage you can as the 2015 festival is this weekend For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook Filed Under: International Geneva By subscribing you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy Previous Newsletters Copyright © Le News Sàrl 2014-2022 / Company number: CH-550.1.129.786-5 / VAT number: CHE-193.843.357 TVA By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy Gibbon also visited Voltaire at les Délices in 1757 I made a little excursion some days ago to Geneva for the sake of the town which I had often seen before a representation of Monsieur de Voltaire's After a life passed in courts and Capitals the Great Voltaire is now a meer country Gentleman the honor of the profession) sometimes of a farmer state of health than he did twenty years ago The play they acted was my favourite Orphan of China himself acted Gengis and Madame Denys Idamé; but I do not know how it happened: either my taste is improved or Voltaire's talents are impaired since I last saw him to me now a very ranting unnatural performer was too much struck with the ridiculous figure of Voltaire at seventy acting a Tartar Conqueror with a hollow broken voice and making love to a very ugly niece of about fifty began at eight in the evening and ended (entertainment and all) about set Down about twelve to a very elegant supper of a hundred a famous poet of Seventy who has acted in his own plays closed the scene with a supper and ball for a hundred people I think the last is the more extraordinary of the two The EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva participated in the 15th edition of FerMUN which brought together more than 700 students from 18 countries around the world Held at the Palais des Nations and in the premises of the International Labour Organization from 7 to 10 January 2025 the participants stepped into diplomats' shoes to debate on current issues related to work The Ferney-Voltaire UN simulation model is organised every year by the International High School of Ferney-Voltaire This three-day conference engages students from across the globe aiming to raise awareness about international relations Participants take the role of national diplomats engaging in debates and drafting resolutions on various global issues each year FerMUN exemplifies initiatives that bring the United Nations closer to young people fostering understanding and dialogue on pressing global challenges the focus was on social justice and labour rights with the event hosted at the International Labour Organization offices in Geneva Head of the EU Delegation’s Health and Social section participated in the opening ceremony of the 15th edition of FerMUN which took place on 7 January 2025 at the Palais des Nations She emphasised the EU's unwavering commitment to multilateralism and the strong EU-UN partnership “In a world where multilateralism is often questioned and conflicts still affect a large proportion of the population seeing a room full of young people ready to listen to each other and build solutions together is a very promising sign for the future Your voices matter in shaping policies that impact both current and future generations.” Gaivile Stankeviciene Other panellists of the opening ceremony included Tatiana Valovaya Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva Deputy Permanent Representative of the French Delegation to the UN in Geneva All the panellists emphasised the pivotal role of young people as drivers of progress and highlighted FerMUN's exceptional contribution in fostering a platform for dialogue and mutual understanding "As our Secretary General António Guterres often repeats: you can't create the future for our grandchildren with the organisation built by our grandfathers we need to prepare the multilateral system for the challenges not only of today That's why this meeting is so important." Tatiana Valovaya "At a time when we know that several elections are shifting to the right (...) we should ask the questions: What is the value of multilateralism it is you who will take up this responsibility." Gilbert F “FerMUN is where policy innovation takes shape and where tomorrow’s leaders find ways to ensure tech is a tool for positive change.” Doreen Bogdan-Martin The McGill University Library is now home to a rare collection of materials related to the prolific Enlightenment period philosopher entrusted to McGill by Professor Peter Lambert-David Southam is a treasure trove of historical handwritten documents and architectural drawings – many of which have never been published before It offers a unique window into the life and mind of Voltaire “The collection adds immense depth and richness to McGill’s already formidable holdings on the Enlightenment Period and Voltaire now making McGill’s holdings one of the most important Voltaire repositories of books and manuscripts in North America,” said McGill University librarian and Curator of Enlightenment Collections The Jacqueline Lambert-David Voltaire Manuscript Collection includes 1,500 pages of handwritten manuscripts related to Voltaire and provocateurs of the French Enlightenment It is a vast and diverse collection of 290 manuscripts representing 1,500 pages of text consisting of private judicial and administrative letters; literary and historical manuscripts; and precious documents relative to the life and times of Voltaire The history of this collection traces its origins back to Voltaire's estate in Ferney-Voltaire and has been nurtured by four generations of the Lambert-David family eventually culminating in Professor Peter Southam's decision to entrust this invaluable historical treasure to McGill University Although all periods of Voltaire's career are represented the Lambert-David Collection notably enriches our understanding of the period during which Voltaire lived at his property the Château de Ferney as of 1760 through to 1778 “Ferney was a bustling place,” said Holland “Guests from all over Europe paid Voltaire a visit at his Chateau including Englishmen out on the Grand Tour.” These papers tell us about the day-to-day life of the first European literary celebrity, adds Professor Nicholas Cronk, Director of the Voltaire Foundation in Oxford. Professor Cronk is giving a lecture on the Voltaire manuscripts on Wednesday one of the greatest research collections of Voltaire’s books and manuscripts anywhere in the world,” he said President launches plan for national lottery to raise cash for decaying historic buildings France is to introduce a national lottery to pay for the restoration of decaying historic buildings and works of art Emmanuel Macron launched the plan for special €15 “heritage” scratchcardsafter visiting the €9m (£8m) restoration Voltaire’s chateau in Ferney Voltaire was fiercely proud of the property, acquired in 1759 after he had fallen out of favour with the French court. The philosopher talked of transforming the village of Ferney from what he called “a miserable hamlet surrounded by marshes” into a place where key figures in Europe would flock to see him It was here that Voltaire wrote his Treatise on Tolerance whose ideas would later be paraphrased as “I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it” Emmanuel Macron walks with his wife Brigitte in the park of the newly restored Château de Ferney Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/GettyMacron was advised on the heritage plan by his friend Stéphane Bern A commission sifted through hundreds of applications to choose the sites that would benefit from proceeds from the scratchcards Those selected include the Caribbean home of Aimé Césaire fantasy-filled home of the writer and adventurer Pierre Loti in Rochefort on the west coast of France – particularly to fix the roof of its second floor decorated with artefacts from Syria and Turkey Other places include an 18th-century fortress on a tiny Brittany island a 12th-century Burgundy castle and a Roman aqueduct in eastern France France has a heritage budget of €326m a year said she saw the lottery – which could raise €15m-€20m – as extra funding for sites in particular need The lottery will be held in September for a limited period and repeated the following year The 2022 edition of the Fête de la science a French initiative that seeks to educate the public on scientific topics It’s time to take stock of the events held in the Ain department many of which involved CERN’s participation.  technical and industrial association of the Ain department officially opened the 31st edition of the Fête de la science in the main auditorium of Bourg-en-Bresse’s Scène nationale The evening kicked off with a screening of the documentary film Big Bang CERN’s former Director for Accelerators and Technology and astrophysicist Nicolas Laporte led a roundtable discussion on the theme of the infinitely big and the infinitely small which attracted an enthusiastic 350-strong audience.  more than 80 science enthusiasts came to the opening of the exhibition “Une mission scientifique pour le XXIe siècle” (A scientific mission for the twenty-first century) in Saint-Genis-Pouilly during which local youngsters enjoyed CERN’s science show See the Invisible The exhibition will be on display at the Médiathèque Georges Sand until the end of October Around a hundred pupils from the Lycée international in Saint-Genis-Pouilly also attended a screening of the film Francois Englert and got the chance to talk to its director and producer as well as to Belgian physicists Albert de Roeck and Filip Moortgat Lastly, on Saturday 15 October, CERN hosted a stand at the Fête de la science et de la biodiversité in Ferney-Voltaire, which provided the perfect opportunity to show our neighbours the efforts the Organization is making to limit its environmental footprint as much as possible. The main focus was CERN’s flagship heat recovery project at point 8 of the LHC which will heat a new neighbourhood being built in Ferney-Voltaire Visitors of all ages and from all backgrounds had the opportunity to find out about the various environmental themes presented and to learn more about the heat recovery project from CERN engineers Serge Claudet and Paul Pepinster We would like to extend our warm thanks to the events’ organisers and to the many volunteers who help to promote CERN’s activities in an engaging and accessible way.    The CERN Exhibitions section (IR-ECO-EXH) and the LHCb experiment have developed a new public experience at LHC Point 8, in Ferney-Voltaire (France), where the experiment is located. The design phase of the new exhibit, carried out in collaboration with the Spanish design firm Indissoluble – The Exhibition Factory which previously worked on the ALICE and Microcosm exhibitions the installation was already completed and about to welcome its first visitors The new exhibition has indeed been open to the public since the beginning of the year “Working on the new LHCb exhibition has been a challenge also because the work mainly happened during the pandemic the excellent teamwork and the highly collaborative and committed attitude of all the members of the working group made it possible for the exhibition to be designed delivered and installed on time and within budget,” says Antonella Del Rosso visitors enter the LHCb main building and are guided through the exhibition’s four sections which include a miniature model of the underground cavern featuring the DELPHI and LHCb detectors The main exhibition hall hosts pieces of the LHCb detector such as the vertex locator parts of the calorimeters and muon systems the ring-imaging Cherenkov detector and a scintillating fibre tracker The highlight of the exhibition is the cinema room: three immersive walls take visitors underground and lead them through the physics of the detector by means of an audiovisual experience (see picture) Different screens and projections mirror the segmented structure of LHCb with each panel corresponding to a different part of the detector All the exhibition points are equipped with interactive touch screens which provide additional information about the detector system data acquisition and basics of particle physics One of the last stops is a sneak peek into the LHCb control room With the new cinema room and the showcased detector parts the new exhibition is a nice alternative to underground visits especially when access is impossible during LHC runs as well as complementing those visits with a first visual input the LHCb experiment welcomed almost 1000 visitors The new exhibition is now ready for the many more to come The 2022 year-end-technical stop (YETS) will start on 28 November and the operation of the accelerator complex will be reduced by 20% in 2023 Plans have also been developed with the French electricity supplier for reduced-power configurations to cope with possible load shedding in the coming months various measures are being developed to save energy on the CERN sites These include switching off the street lighting overnight delaying by one week the start of building heating and optimising it during the entire winter season CERN is also investigating the potential for using renewable energy sources in particular photovoltaic sources placed both on and off site CERN formally committed to establishing an energy management system in accordance with the ISO 50001 standard it has submitted a five-year energy performance plan to the French authorities aimed at further optimising the Laboratory’s energy consumption Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Why what you’ve read about the trade deficit hurting growth is wrong A martini doesn’t just steady the nerves after a rollercoaster week Fund managers smell an opportunity to get even bigger A truce is still possible, but no one wants to be first to pick up the phone 26/11/2015 By Last night the French authorities searched the french homes of two imams associated with the mosque in Petit-Saconnex in Geneva, who live in the french town of Ferney-Voltaire not far from Geneva Geneva Mosque – Petit Saconnex – Source wikipedia – user MHM55 since the country declared a state of emergency following the attacks in Paris According to the Tribune de Genève, two French imams associated with the Geneva mosque received a surprise visit by armed French police at their homes in Ferney-Voltaire last night “I was asleep when I heard shouting in the stairway followed by people banging loudly against a door saying: police open I immediately thought of terrorism” said a neighbour equipped with helmets and 1.5m shields in and around the building My father went onto the balcony and was told to go back inside immediately I didn’t sleep at all during the night” she said Two other neighbours described the same scene Described as a very nice father who caused no problems the French security services have had a file on the man targeted since 2012 he appears in the same file as the author of seven murders The two had been in contact by telephone several months before the murders according to mobile phone records A few hundred metres away another older imam from the Geneva mosque was visited by the police The French security services also have a file on this individual A third search also took place in the same area according to the newspaper What were the police looking for in the home of these two French converts who both studied in Medina in Saudi Arabia Will these searches lead to legal proceedings Contacted by Tribune de Genève on Thursday the two imams have not returned the newspaper’s calls Neither has the director of the Fondation culturelle islamique de Genève Full Tribune de Genève article (in French) For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter you guys are astounding with your blatant ignorance Cosmos » Physics CERN has responded in new reports to suggestions that its proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC) is not technologically feasible suggesting that the project’s aims to delve further into the mysteries of the universe are attainable CERN operates the largest machine on Earth – the 27-kilometre  the particle accelerator used to examine the fundamental nature of the particles and forces which form the universe In 2012, experiments at the LHC led to the discovery of the Higgs boson – the “God particle” responsible for giving all other particles their mass It is now proposed that the FCC will be built in the 2040s It would have a circumference more than 3 times that of the LHC the FCC would be built near the Swiss-French border at Geneva It would allow particles to be smashed together at energies 8 times greater than at the LHC. Coupled with more sensitive detectors, the FCC could help discover new particles and solve some of the biggest cosmic questions, including what is the nature of dark matter Building the FCC is estimated to cost about US$17 billion Overflow energy will be used to heat towns like Ferney-Voltaire – one of 7 surface sites planned on the French side of the FCC The new feasibility reports are published on CERN’s website They analyse 100 different scenarios to conclude that the 91km-long machine could be built and sustained and would yield new scientific information But some have raised concerns about the project Speaking with global news agency AFP, one dairy farmer in France says the planned collider would swallow “5 hectares of our farm” Physicist Olivier Cepas of the Neel Institute at France’s University of Grenoble tells AFP: “The financial t would be better to fund smaller scientific projects.” then projects like it will emerge in other parts of the world trains and even a cruise ship in his quest to return home — and his family says it's because of he has been deemed too fat to travel Now Frenchman Kevin Chenais' long and fitful journey is coming to an end A ferry company accepted Chenais on Wednesday for a trip across the English Channel one of the last obstacles to his homecoming in the French town of Ferney-Voltaire says he has been repeatedly refused transport over the past two weeks as he sought to get home to France from the United States P&O Ferries offered to take him in his ambulance aboard the Spirit of Britain on Wednesday the final hurdle keeping him from his home near the Swiss border "I am absolutely tired," the 22-year-old said as he slumped over in his mobility scooter just before being loaded into the ambulance Chenais' mother was outraged by the treatment her son allegedly received saying he was discriminated against because of his weight He has a genetic illness," Christina Chenais said "We are very happy to go home after this long The odyssey began when British Airways refused to honor his return ticket from the United States where he had been receiving medical care for a hormone imbalance "When we talked about this problem with British Airways that Kevin was too fat .. (they said) abandon any intention of coming back to France," Kevin's father he was not considered to be a normal being BA acknowledges that it refused to let Chenais board the plane but said confidentiality rules prevent it from saying why BA insisted that it does not discriminate against customers for any reason and that the airline provides the option of an extra seat to people who contact them with concerns about seat width "We respect the privacy of the customer so cannot comment on any changes in circumstance between arrival and departure dates," the company said in a statement British Airways declined to say what the changes in circumstance had been Chenais said Carnival Cruises also rejected his request for a cabin on a trans-Atlantic voyage Virgin Atlantic airlines stepped in to fly him to London where he had planned to take the Eurostar train home But Eurostar refused to allow him on board because of safety rules governing travel through the Channel Tunnel: The high-speed train that connects England to France and Belgium requires all passengers to have the ability to be safely evacuated — and Chenais' obesity-caused lack of mobility made that impossible "This is a terrible situation," Eurostar said in a statement Chenais and his family who are understandably desperate to return home after being stranded in America." Eurostar paid for the family's hotel room and worked with P&O to find a solution "It's difficult to imagine the frustration that this gentleman has gone through," P&O spokesman Chris Laming said in a statement it's very straightforward as we are set up to carry people who have medical needs." Laming said Chenais and his family landed safely at the French port of Calais on Wednesday night and were not far from finally reaching home either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Friday installed an Indian doctor facing corruption charges as its president despite controversy surrounding his appointment while legal cases are pending Ketan Desai delivered his inaugural speech as president Friday at the association's annual assembly in Taiwan Desai has faced conspiracy and corruption allegations since he was first selected in 2009 as a future president of the WMA He has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the pending cases He did not respond to questions from Reuters sent via email When Reuters asked the WMA this week for an update on Desai's legal situation spokesman Nigel Duncan said the association had nothing more to say "I don't think there's anything we want to add to what we have already said," Duncan said He did not answer questions about Desai's legal cases or what the ethics body had been told about them in recent months Desai faces charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to obtain a bribe of 20 million rupees ($450,000 at the time) from a medical college investigators allege Desai helped the school get permission from the Medical Council to add more students Desai was jailed that year and his inauguration as the WMA president was suspended the WMA decided to lift the suspension after receiving assurances from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) The IMA did not respond to queries from Reuters this week A Reuters investigation published in July last year showed that the IMA had incorrectly told the WMA that charges against Desai had been withdrawn Representatives of major doctors organizations accepted the information as fact The IMA said last year that it never misled the WMA The WMA had said it took questions raised in the Reuters article "very seriously" and would look into them the WMA upheld its decision to appoint Desai as president A source at India's Central Bureau of Investigation said this week that the New Delhi case was still active though it was on hold due to a pending appeal in the Supreme Court The source said Desai still needs to appear before the district court judge during hearings Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all The move will undoubtedly mean the large space that has already been cleared near  the border post will remain empty for some time saying the demolition of the garages and other businesses have cost hundreds of jobs Campaigners have long been fighting the plans saying it’s old fashioned and goes against new environmental requirements The cancellation of this project echoes another which seems to have hit the buffers – the Open Centre in Saint-Genis.  That’s currently on hold after a court ruled the impact on local wildlife was too great The Voltaire Library is the only library of an important French Enlightenment author to have been preserved intact Immediately following the death of Voltaire Catherine II decided to buy his library in an attempt to bolster her reputation in Europe as a tolerant and enlightened ruler