What mysterious experiments are happening at CERN? Founded in 1954, the CERN laboratory sits astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. CERN’s main focus is particle physics – the study of the fundamental constituents of matter – but the experiments at the laboratory are much broader, ranging from nuclear to high-energy physics, from studies of antimatter to the possible effects of cosmic rays on clouds. PLUS * Could CERN be built on a gateway to the underworld: The Temple of Apollo? * The Gotthard Tunnel’s connection to CERN. * The ceremonies around Shiva.