--- title: "CERN Scientists Annoyed That People Think They’re Ripping a Hole in Reality" description: "Several conspiracy theories involving the Mandela effect and portal opening have gone viral, and CERN scientists are trying to counter the misinformation." date: "2022-07-22" modified: "2022-07-22" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cern-scientists-annoyed" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "cern" - "conspiracy theories" - "large hadron collider" - "the digest" --- # CERN Scientists Annoyed That People Think They’re Ripping a Hole in Reality ![Several conspiracy theories involving the Mandela effect and portal opening have gone viral, and CERN scientists are trying to counter the misinformation.]() *MEYRIN, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: The ALICE Experiment is seen during the Open Days at the CERN particle physics research facility on September 14, 2019 in Meyrin, Switzerland. The 27km-long Large Hadron Collider is currently shut down for maintenance, which has created an opportunity to offer access to the public. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's largest laboratory for research into particle physics. (Photo by Ronald Patrick/Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images / Ronald Patrick\* ## Please Stop CERN [recently fired up]() its [Large Hadron Collider]() for the first time in three years, [discovering fascinating new particles]() in the process. At the same time, many conspiracy theorists have glommed onto the project, dubiously alleging that CERN's device is somehow altering or damaging the very fabric of reality. The many conspiracies around the particle collider have [been, uh, interesting]() — to the degree that it's hard to tell if some are parody (one [viral TikTok]() even alleges that the facility somehow altered the spelling of Oreos' beloved 'Double Stuf' cookies.) Now, [*Vice* reports]() that all these bizarre accusations are spurring CERN scientists to try to counter the misinformation. "Look, bro, just because you misremembered something does not mean CERN is going around changing your Oreos," Clara Nellist, a CERN particle physicist, [retorted in a video reply](). "There are much higher energy particle collisions happening in our atmosphere all the time. What CERN is doing is tiny in comparison. I can promise you we're not going around changing the labels on your food." ## Mandela Madness As *Vice* reports, a lot of these online theorists are fixated on the phenomenon of mass cultural misremembering known as [the Mandela effect](). To the credit of CERN conspiracy theorists, the Mandela effect is a documented phenomenon, at least on a psychological level. Though classic Oreos' thicker twin has always been spelled 'Double Stuf,' there are some [pretty striking examples]() of collective false memory. Still, the Mandela effect is almost certainly caused by the fallacies of memory itself, not the Large Hadron Collider. And to that point, there's zero evidence that CERN's device is [opening inter-dimensional portals](), nevermind [literally unleashing hell on Earth](), as some particularly fringe conspiracy theorists have claimed. But despite the controversy, Nellist appears to be taking the high road. "I think we should \[to some extent\] be honored and happy that we're capturing the imagination of people because we're at the forefront of science," the physicist's comments continued. "People are interested in what we're doing." **READ MORE:** [*Is CERN Causing Collective Mass Delusion by Creating Portals to Alternate Dimensions? An Investigation*]() \[*Vice*\] **More on the Large Hadron Cylinder:** [Large Hadron Collider Discovers Strange New Particles]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()