CERN Targeted by Conspiracy Theorists Ahead of 2024 Solar Eclipse

Explore the theory: Conspiracy theorists allege CERN's plans to open a portal during the 2024 solar eclipse.

As the anticipation builds for the total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, which will be visible across parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, a new wave of conspiracy theories has emerged. This time, the unlikely target is the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, with claims circulating on social media suggesting that the organization has nefarious plans involving its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator and the upcoming celestial event.

False Claims Spread on Social Media

Conspiracy theorists have taken to social media platforms to spread the idea that CERN will be starting up its LHC on the day of the eclipse to “open a gateway or portal.” One viral post, shared over 1,000 times, claims, “They, the powers that be, are opening up CERN in coordination with the eclipse, to open up a gateway, a portal.”

However, these claims have been debunked by CERN officials, who confirm that there is no connection between the organization’s scientific work and the upcoming solar eclipse. “What we do at CERN is doing particle physics with accelerators such as the (Large Hadron Collider), and this has little to do with astrophysics in a direct way,” stated CERN spokesperson Sophie Tesauri.

Moreover, the timing of CERN’s experiments is being misrepresented by conspiracy theorists. The LHC was already restarted on March 8th after a brief winter break, a full month before the eclipse. CERN routinely conducts particle physics experiments using the collider throughout the year, and the eclipse has no bearing on their schedule.

CERN's Technology Incapable of Opening Portals

Scientists have also weighed in on the matter, emphasizing that CERN’s technology is far from capable of opening any sort of portal, even if that were the goal. Dejan Stojkovic, a physics professor at the University at Buffalo, explained, “To create a black hole or a wormhole, even microscopic ones, with our current technology, in the context of our standard theories of gravity, we need an accelerator as big as the whole universe. So there is no chance whatsoever to create such a portal at the (Large Hadron Collider).”

The LHC, situated 100 meters underground on the French-Swiss border, is designed to accelerate subatomic particles to nearly the speed of light in order to study the fundamental building blocks of the universe. While it has led to groundbreaking discoveries like the Higgs boson, the idea that it could be influenced by a solar eclipse occurring thousands of miles away is simply unfounded.

CERN has long been a target for conspiracy theories, likely due to the complex and abstract nature of particle physics research. However, officials stress that there is no factual basis to claims linking the organization’s work to the upcoming solar eclipse.

Conspiracy Theories Reveal More About Human Psychology Than Science

As the 2024 total solar eclipse approaches, it is important to distinguish between legitimate scientific endeavors and the baseless claims propagated by conspiracy theorists. The spread of such rumors says more about human psychology and the tendency to believe in outlandish stories than it does about the realities of advanced scientific study.

While CERN continues its crucial work in unraveling the mysteries of the universe, millions of people across North America will have the opportunity to witness a rare and awe-inspiring celestial event. It is essential to approach both science and natural phenomena with a critical eye, relying on facts and evidence rather than giving credence to unfounded conspiracy theories.