Back together again
The visitors were passionate about what they saw. "What impresses us the most is the broad participation in this project—it seems the intelligence of the world is coming together in ITER! We were curious to see that expressed during the visit and we haven't been disappointed," said one French senior.
Inside of the ITER Visitors Centre, guests for the day were offered explicative videos, a virtual reality simulation and—most of all—the explanations of dozens of ITER scientists, engineers and project managers. Several exhibits for children were also popular, including marshmallow-shrinking vacuum experiments and a discovery truck set up by the local scientific association Les Petits Débrouillards (The little crafty ones).
For this first "in person" Open Door Day since September 2019, the enthusiasm was intact on both sides. The ITER "volunteers" enjoyed showcasing the major operations that have been performed during this more-than-two-year intermission, and the public could hardly believe how much progress had been accomplished despite the constraints of the pandemic. All in all, this 16th edition of the ITER Open Doors Day felt like a happy reunion.