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Noe2097
> Each kart is turbo-boosted by 64 superconducting engines,” explains project leader Mario Idraulico

I guess we can now call you Mario 'Kart' Idraulico.

Oh wait.

Thank you CERN, that was a smart one.

voidUpdate
Is this an april fools joke? The title image looks so over-the-top that I really can't tell if it's a joke or not
koolala
high temperature super conductors my beloved
rvnx
Meh joke considering this was paid on public money.

Same as choosing to spend xxx,xxx USD to have .cern when using subdomains would have worked too (and caused less validation / compatibility issues).

mrguyorama
This page cost taxpayers like 100 Euros maybe. How much money do you think scientists actually make? How much money and effort do you think it takes to post a blog article with a couple paragraphs of text and an image?
rbanffy
I really miss Think Geek :-(
PunchyHamster
We need followup post exactly 365 days later describing first karting accident inside CERN
thomasgeelens
oh my, I should really visit one day, I'm not even that far from CERN
cern
CERN Research Facility, Geneva. Subject: Gordon Freeman, Male, Age 27
groundzeros2015
Please bro. Just one more particle collider. This one will solve science. The last one wasn’t big enough. Please keep it in desirable real estate though.
Akuehne
This got me. Thought it was real, busted out laughing when I read the project leads name. It still didn't click.
charltones
Also the hat and mustache of the kart driver.
rippeltippel
Right on time! "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" released today.
shevy-java
It took me a while to notice the first april, but actually the image was too unbelievable. But if such karts were possible, I bet the guys at CERN would absolutely use it. And then post on youtube.

We know how things happen in "professional research".

nicman23
if you reached c with such a cart - nevermind the heat from air friction, would you be able to breath from a rebreather?
ourmandave
I would pay stupid money for a CERN Tunnel Rainbow Road track DLC.
rmast
How about for a real life Rainbow Road made by the Quantum Mushroom startup? I think that might be the aerospace applications reference in the article:

> CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group has begun discussions with European startup company Quantum Mushroom to explore aerospace applications and powering for next-generation anti-gravity vehicles.

anthk
As an homage, Supertuxkart might add a CERN-LHC inspired level with a wormhole as a secret path.
stego-tech
Ah, the stages of a good April Fool's nerd joke:

1, Reading the Headline on HN) "Man, this is probably going to be something more practical, but I wish they were superconducting go-karts or golf-carts to get around the facility in."

2, Reading the article) "...okay, I was right? Kinda? Huh. Something feels off. Wait a-"

3, Remembering the Date) "FUCK. OK, CERN got me. Good one. Still want a superconducting kart though."

NewLogic
Takes me back to the week we all thought room temperature super conductors might be a solved problem.
nekusar
They missed a perfect spot to mention something about "Gordon".

(Half-Life joke)

WhitneyLand
Call me a killjoy I hate April fools jokes.
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gluten_guardian
Ofcourse the guy explaining the carts is called "Mario".
the_af
Mario Idraulico and Luigi Fratello overseeing this project? I hope the karts don't run into any stray kooparticles.
pugworthy
I'd be cautious of residual Higgs Booson particles in the tunnels. They can cause unexpected phase shifts if encountered, which may expose the driver to unexpected hazards.