TikTok conspiracy theorists believe CERN may have opened an interdimensional portal after spotting parallels between the organization's latest physics-challenging project and Netflix's hit sci-fi series Stranger Things.

The notion of a man-made machine exploring the very structure of the universe is a strange thing to think about, even though science often aims to help us understand the world around us better. Still, some believe there are mad scientists who hope to transport us to an alternate universe, springboard toward the gates of hell or even harness the power of a black hole.

On July 5, CERN fired up their large particle accelerator, leading many to speculate about the more unknown implications of scientific experimentation and the secrets of the vast universe.

Will CERN's latest project help us make bold new discoveries? Or will it make us meet our ultimate demise?

Below, here's what we know — but first...

What Is CERN?

Located on the Franco-Swiss border, CERN is officially known as the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and is an acronym for French Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire.

This might be the first time you have heard of CERN, but the organization has actually been around for a while.

Founded in 1952, the organization is known for providing world-class physics research with a focus on understanding the atom.

What Is the Large Hadron Collider?

Located at the CERN's particle physics laboratory just outside of Geneva, Switzerland, the Large Hadron Collider, otherwise known as LHC, is essentially a mighty atom smasher.

According to CERN, the LHC is the world's most powerful particle accelerator. Using a ring of superconducting magnets, it was designed by scientists to test theoretical predictions in particle physics.

Scientists hope the LHC will help them get answers to questions such as: What is dark matter? What is dark energy? Why is there more matter than anti-matter?

Mashable reports that on July 5, 2020, physicists announced they had discovered three "exotic" particles they could not explain.

CERN Conspiracy Theories, Explained:

Stranger Things fans and TikTok conspiracy theorists have three popular theories when regarding what CERN is supposedly really up to.

The first and scariest theory is that CERN is attempting to open a portal to hell. Some people believe tampering with subatomic particles at the speed of light will actually lead us past the gates of the ultimate inferno.

However, CERN has clarified that its goal for creating anti-matter is to better understand matter and mass.

The encyclopedia defines anti-matter as "sub-atomic" particles that have the "reverse electrical charge" of matter. Backers of the Big Bang Theory believe anti-matter was created during the formation of the universe and should be equal in representation to matter. However, anti-matter is very rare.

The second CERN conspiracy theory involves the Mandela Effect.

In short, the Mandela Effect is a phenomenon occurs when many people remember an event from the past occurring differently than it actually occurred in reality.

Some conspiracy theorists believe CERN's particle experiments will cause shifts in reality and push the world into an alternate dimension, creating a large-scale Mandela Effect in the process.

And finally, conspiracy theorists believe that human sacrifice is happening on-site at the CERN complex.

In 2016, a video allegedly bubbled up on the internet claiming that ritual sacrifices were occurring at CERN.

Supposedly, the video showed several cloaked figures walking around the grounds of CERN. It's believed the footage captured a young girl being stabbed in the chest by the cloaked figures.

According to The Guardian, at the time a CERN spokeswoman claimed the ritual was staged as part of an elaborate prank.

"These scenes were filmed on our premises without official permission or knowledge. CERN does not condone this type of spoof, which can give rise to misunderstandings about the scientific nature of our work," the statement read. "CERN welcomes every year thousands of scientific users from all over the world, and sometimes some of them let their humor go too far. This is what happened on this occasion."

It is unclear if a police investigation took place following the hoax.

Did CERN Open a Portal to Another Dimension?

According to Snopes.com, the short answer is no.

CERN has been a longtime target of conspiracy theories. Hence, it's no surprise that on July 5, 2022, when scientists recommissioned activity after three years of completing upgrades and maintenance, conspiracy theories would also resurface online.

While science hopefuls may find this news disappointing, as of right now, CERN has no plans to open a portal to hell, the future or any other dimensions.

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