CERN levels up with new superconducting karts
CERN unveiled a seemingly groundbreaking development with new superconducting karts designed for high-speed travel within the LHC tunnels, featuring engineers named Mario and Luigi. This detailed and whimsical announcement, strategically published on April 1st, delighted and amused the Hacker News community. Commenters quickly identified the numerous pop culture references, praising CERN's commitment to an elaborate April Fools' Day prank.
The Lowdown
CERN published a whimsical press release announcing new "superconducting karts" designed to facilitate rapid travel within the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnels during upcoming maintenance. The article, released on April 1st, 2026, was a masterclass in scientific humor, blending plausible-sounding technology with overt references to popular culture.
- The karts, purportedly powered by 64 superconducting engines and leveraging the Meissner effect, are intended to replace bicycles for faster transit through the 27km LHC tunnel during Long Shutdown 3 (LS3).
- Project leader "Mario Idraulico" and safety coordinator "Luigi Fratello" are prominently featured, with quotes like "mamma mia, they’re super!"
- Safety gear, "SHELLS," and a ban on "bananas in the tunnel" are mentioned, directly referencing items from the Mario Kart video game series.
- The initiative purportedly stemmed from a collaboration with a CERN nursery school, with characters like "Yoshi Kyouryuu" and "Rosalina Pfirsich" from the Mario universe also appearing.
- CERN's Knowledge Transfer Group is exploring applications with "Quantum Mushroom" for aerospace and anti-gravity vehicles.
This elaborate prank showcased CERN's playful side, successfully fooling some while entertaining many with its clever integration of pop culture into a scientific context.
The Gossip
April's Amusing Antics
The overwhelming sentiment in the comments was immediate recognition and appreciation for CERN's annual April Fools' Day prank. Users quickly pointed out the publication date and the overt references to Mario Kart characters and items, praising the article's detailed commitment to the joke.
Humorous Hyper-References
Commenters enjoyed dissecting the various pop culture allusions hidden within the article, from the names "Mario Idraulico" and "Luigi Fratello" to specific mentions like "SHELLS," "bananas," "Quantum Mushroom," and the "question mark" walls. The discussion highlighted the cleverness of incorporating so many specific details without explicitly stating it was a joke.
Plausibility Ponderings
A few users initially wondered if the story might be genuinely real, given CERN's history of groundbreaking and sometimes futuristic scientific endeavors. This led to humorous musings on the absurdity of the idea, even before confirming it as a joke, showcasing the fine line the prank walked between genuine scientific news and satire.