Towards the centre of the atom.

What does matter consist of? What forces hold matter together in its many forms? On the Swiss-French borders near Geneva stand the laboratories of CERN, which houses the large electron positive collider (LEP), the world's largest particle accelerator, in which electrons and positrons collide to produce the heaviest sub-atomic particles yet discovered. CERN was established shortly after the Second World War as an international research laboratory for sub-atomic physics, with the aim of overcoming the divisions which war had created between countries. It recreates the most elementary forms of matter, those which probably existed at the beginning of the universe. By returning to these basic forms, it may be possible to solve problems concerning the origins of life. The film provides a tour of CERN's control rooms and uses graphics to convey an impresssion of what goes on inside the accelerator.