What is happening on July 5? CERN reactor goes viral on TikTok

TikTok users are sharing some wild takes regarding CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, which is set to resume action on July 5 — but the release of Stranger Things is causing some viewers to turn things ‘Upside Down.’

TikTok is a haven for viral content of all sorts, whether it be viral pasta recipes, catchy choreography, or just downright unusual ‘life hacks.’

However, the latest trend taking over the app is truly turning things upside down as viewers share their opinions about some major scientific research that’s going back in business on July 5.

Simply put, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (or CERN), is resuming research with its Large Hadron Collider, the largest particle accelerator in the world.

Although its name certainly sounds like some kind of space age weapon, the Collider is actually a large tunnel about 300 feet beneath the border between Switzerland and France — not the portal-opening beam from Season 3 of Stranger Things.

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The Collider is designed to launch certain particles at each other at extremely fast speeds using magnets, which in the past resulted in the discovery of the ‘Higgs boson’ particle.

The Collider is set to become active again today, July 5, 2022 after a major overhaul… and some TikTokers are convinced that there’s more to this research than meets the eye.

Netflix’s hit show ‘Stranger Things’ has been a hot comparison for some TikTokers, who say that CERN is actually aiming to “open a portal” to another dimension a la Vecna.

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While that certainly sounds terrifying, it’s definitely not the case. CERN’s research aims to find “answers to questions about the universe” and “develop the technologies of tomorrow” to “discover new particles and new hints on fundamental physics.”

In the past, CERN has helped develop technologies for MRI and PET scans, alongside the World Wide Web — you know, that thing you’re using to read this article right now.

It doesn’t look like Vecna’s army will be reaching the real world anytime soon, but the Collider is definitely sparking discussion either way.