Elon Musk is no stranger to wild ideas or meme-worthy moments. But when he called the world’s largest particle accelerator a “demonic technology,” it wasn’t just another X joke. His comment sparked curiosity, stirred old conspiracies, and reignited fears about one of science’s most powerful tools: CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
The Hadron Collider is a 17-mile underground ring located near Geneva, Switzerland. It was built to smash particles together at high speeds to help scientists understand the universe. In 2012, it helped discover the Higgs boson—a big step in figuring out why particles have mass. While many saw that as a scientific win, others remained wary. Over the years, the collider has become a magnet for bizarre theories and apocalyptic predictions.
Musk’s Comment and the Meme Effect
In 2022, when CERN restarted the Large Hadron Collider after an upgrade, interest returned. So did the fear. Right on cue, Musk posted a cryptic meme that read “Please let me use the CERN Large Hadron Collider. I am normal and can be trusted with a demonic technology unlike anything the world has ever seen.”
The internet lit up. Some users laughed it off, while others read between the lines. Musk didn’t say the machine was evil, but the tone of the comment, paired with his global influence, gave it weight. Suddenly, conspiracy theories were back in full force, this time with Musk’s voice helping push them along, even if unintentionally.
The phrase “death machine” began trending again. Jokes mixed with genuine concern. Some users pointed at CERN’s logo, claiming it looked like “666.” Others wondered aloud if the collider could open portals or destroy Earth. The meme had sparked something deeper.
