What is the CERN conspiracy theory?
IF YOU have ever heard of CERN, chances are you know it's associated with science and nuclear research.
However, curious minds want to learn more about the conspiracy theory surrounding the institution.
What is the CERN conspiracy theory?
Numerous conspiracy theories flooded TikTok this summer leading up to the third run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
In July 2022, CERN celebrated the tenth anniversary of the discovery of the Higgs boson particle with a series of events starting on July 3.
On July 5, 2022, there was a collision of unprecedented energy levels at the LHC - as much as 13.6 trillion electronvolts.
The start of Run 3 of the LHC was streamed live on CERN's social media channels and marked the launch of the new physics season at the institute's flagship accelerator.
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It comes ten years after groundbreaking research was presented on the Higgs Boson to a packed CERN auditorium.
The event looked back at where a decade of Higgs science has brought the field while looking ahead to new prospects.
For TikTok users, however, the collider's restart sparked a concern that the massive energy use would invite interdimensional evils into our world.
For instance, one TikToker claimed the event would open a portal to another dimension in a that garnered more than 2.3million views.
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Some users took to Twitter to express their conspiracies, with one user : "CERN is literally summoning the demon. 666 in the logo. Exactly 16.6 miles around.
"Literally occult symbols everywhere. God be with us when this thing turns on starting July 3. Supposedly it will use more power than the entire USA does in 1 year. It's underground opening a portal."
What is CERN?
CERN is probably the world's most famous physics lab.
Its official name is the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, but it's usually known as CERN.
That's because the name comes from the French: Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire.
The lab focuses on particle physics – the study of tiny matter.
CERN operates the largest particle physics lab in the world.
It was founded in 1954 and provided the gear needed to study high-energy physics.
This includes particle accelerators. They're tunnels that use electromagnetic fields to make particles move exceptionally quickly.
These experiments can involve particles colliding at high speeds.
This allows scientists to study matter in a typically impossible way.
That includes the discovery of the Higgs Boson – or "god particle" – which gives mass to other particles, like electrons.
CERN is also used to refer to the laboratory, which in 2019 had 2,660 staff members, and hosted about 12,400 users from institutions in more than 70 countries.
The iconic CERN is also the birthplace of the World Wide Web.
Where is CERN located?
CERN is based in northwest Geneva, on the Franco-Swiss border, and has 23 member states.
According to Google, its exact address is Espl. Des Particules 1, 1211 Meyrin, Switzerland.
According to the , the location was chosen "to host CERN to a large extent because of its neutrality and safeguards against the misappropriation of scientific research results for military purposes."
It continues: "This was especially important when the organization was established in 1954 because the world was just entering the Cold War.
"Switzerland offers other advantages including its location in the heart of Europe, its tradition as host country to international organizations and its stability."
What is a Hadron Collider?
The LHC is the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
It started on September 10, 2008, and remains the latest addition to CERN's accelerator complex.
The LHC took a decade to build and cost around $4.75billion.
It is found 100 meters underground and examines the universe's tiniest particles.
It is a 27-kilometer ring of superconducting magnets with several accelerating structures to boost the energy of particles.
Inside the accelerator, two high-energy particle beams travel at close to the speed of light before they are made to collide.
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Scientists then record the resulting events caused by the collision.
They hope it will tell us more about how the universe began and what it's made of.