Scientists at CERN took some antiprotons out for a spin in a never-tried-before test drive

Scientists at CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research, took some antiprotons out for a spin — a very delicate one — in a truck, in a never-tried-before test drive that has been deemed a success.

Scientists in Geneva took some antiprotons out for a spin — a very delicate one — in a truck, in a never-tried-before test drive that has been deemed a success.

If this so-called antimatter came into contact with actual matter, even for a fraction of an instant, it would have been annihilated in a quick flash of energy. So experts at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, over the course of four hours on Tuesday (March 24, 2026), brought about 100 antiprotons on the road.

The antiprotons were suspended in a vacuum inside a specially designed box and held in place by supercooled magnets.

After easing them from the lab and onto the truck, the scientists transported the antimatter on a half-hour drive to test how — if at all — the infinitesimal particles could be transported by road without seeping out. The antiprotons were then taken back to the lab in Tuesday’s (March 24, 2026) final stage that concluded with applause and a bottle of Champagne.

CERN spokeswoman Sophie Tesauri called the experiment successful. It was not immediately clear how many antiprotons had survived the entire journey, but roughly 91 of 100 were still there after the truck’s trip.

The hard part: Manipulating antimatter, like antiprotons, can be tricky business. As scientists understand the universe today, for every type particle that exists, there is a corresponding antiparticle, exactly matching the particle but with an opposite charge.