“Wandering the Immeasurable” is a big sculpture by Gayle Hermick, a Canadian sculptor, wich stands within the campus of CERN between The Globe and the Science Gateway building.

It takes the form of a ribbon of steel, endlessly coiling and uncoiling to represent infinite possibilities, and spanning almost 4,000 years as it retraces part of the history of scientific and technical knowledge worldwide.

On one side of the ribbon, 396 important discoveries are inscribed in their language of origin, accompanied by the names of their discoverers.

On the other side of the ribbon, Hermick wanted to showcase the language of science. From Pythagoras’ much-loved theorem to the cryptic Standard Model Lagrangian equation, the mathematical alphabet becomes more complex the more the ribbon unwinds.

The sculpture has numerous symbolic connections to CERN, technologically above all, as the sculptor chose to work with an industrial metal, stainless steel, which had to be laser cut. From the point of view of diversity too: by granting the place of honour to men and women from around the world who have contributed to science through the ages, Hermick's work reflects the nature of CERN, whose very existence is built on international collaboration. Finally, this sculpture acts as a bridge between science and society. This work allows visitors to understand a part of the history of science, from its beginnings to today. This educational role is also one of CERN’s fundamental aims.

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