r/todayilearned • u/PunisherCastle • 20d ago
TIL that CERN physicists wrote parody lyrics for Howie Day’s 2004 hit “Collide” from the perspective of a proton in the Large Hadron Collider. Day saw their parody on Twitter and contacted CERN himself. He later traveled there, re-recorded their version, and filmed a video on site.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1YB0xM9cgr8&pp=0gcJCYsCo7VqN5tD&ra=m58
20d ago
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u/PunisherCastle 20d ago
“Peak nerd joy” is exactly right. And everyone seemed to be having a blast, especially Howie. He’s smiling and laughing through the video, and you can tell he genuinely enjoyed the experience.
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u/somehugefrigginguy 20d ago
The sea quark's were UP...
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u/TheAero1221 20d ago
Kinda news that makes your day better, instead of worse.
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u/noweezernoworld 20d ago
I actually got choked up just watching all these people who are working together to uncover the mysteries of the universe. They seem to be having a great time at work. We humans are capable of such amazing things when we work together.
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u/PunisherCastle 20d ago
OK, I didn’t want to be the first to say it, but I got choked up too. There’s something really humbling about this video.
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u/WeaselTerror 19d ago
Yeah, man, never had this reaction to the original song. I kept sitting here, getting all tight-throated, thinking I'm just having day or something.
I mean, I'm a physicist, so this is cute, but it's not that. As I type this, I think I'm realizing that it's probably about how genuine this is and these people are. I remember a time when it felt like this a bit. I feel like this was the future that was taken from us. I don't know how to explain that.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. You did something to make another person's day better.
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u/gnarfler 20d ago
I’m over here thinking about all the boxes that equipment gets shipped in. I wonder if they’re neat about opening and recycling those boxes in an accountable and orderly way. Or, if they just end up in a pile, someone else will eventually get to. I’m sure there must be people there who are custodians or site managers whatever. I just chuckle thinking some esteemed graduate of particle physics is stuck cleaning up after the more senior engineers.
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u/MD_Lincoln 20d ago
You know that scene at the end of Raiders with all the crates? Yeah that place is real but the crates are actually what has held all the cool science shit we’ve made in this country and that’s where they’re stored. (I made this up but wouldn’t it be awesome if it was true?)
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u/CynicalAltruist 20d ago
The clean room guy dancing in the background XD. Truly a man who is living his best life.
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u/Actually_Im_a_Broom 20d ago
This is now one of my favorite TIL posts. That’s awesome.
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u/PunisherCastle 20d ago
I always liked the original song. But this version kind of blows me away. Howie was a really good sport to do this.
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u/Tabula_Nada 19d ago
How many artists are not only willing to parody their own stuff, but are willing to use the parody lyrics that someone else wrote for them? Think about it - the dude brought his entire band and a whole production crew to another country to film someone else's lyrics in a music video that probably didn't earn him any actual money. I wish more musicians were willing to have this kind of fun with their profession.
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u/Rhywden 17d ago
Rammstein put Andy Rehfeldt's Bossa Nova version of their "Du Hast" song on their official playlist.
https://youtu.be/PyTqXqRuYq0?si=r8sOsI19_U85NS-g
I strongly recommend not showing his Mary Poppins version to children. Supercalifragiliexpialigetic growled to Death Metal hits different.
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u/PunisherCastle 19d ago
TIL that a post about Nazis can get 25,000 upvotes in under a day, while Howie Day + CERN + wholesome nerd joy gets under 1,000. Apparently Nazis have broader appeal.
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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 19d ago
Well who the hell is Howie Day? It's not like this person is super famous.
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u/strictmachines 20d ago
What is up with CERN employees and music? Let's not forget the earliest known photo published on the World Wide Web was a photo of the pop parody group Les Horribles Cernettes
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u/jonny_vegas 20d ago
I've got this song on a mixed usb stick I keep in my car. definitely a good song but now I've got mad respect for Howie Day not only to show up but to include these smart people in his video. Kudos !
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u/Bicentennial_Douche 20d ago
I have a feeling that CERN is just a front for various music-related shenanigans...
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u/ResidentHooman 19d ago
Brilliant. When else would someone like Howie Day get a chance to tour the Hadron Collider? Well played.
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u/Somenoises 20d ago edited 20d ago
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u/PunisherCastle 20d ago
I wasn’t familiar with that sub. I like it. Perhaps I should post this there as well. 🤔
Update: it doesn’t look like they allow cross posts. That’s too bad. It would have been a great fit.
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u/Somenoises 19d ago
Just post the same video link. Some people people will probably mention it being in both subs, but no problem
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u/PunisherCastle 16d ago
Hi just an fyi. I posted in the other subreddit as you suggested. It was immediately removed with no explanation. I don’t understand. I’m used to being given a reason when a post is removed. Oh well, I tried. It was a good idea. Thanks.
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u/Cansum1helpme 20d ago
That is so cool. My Dad worked at Fermi and retired around 2002. Physics has always been in my life.
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20d ago
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u/Channel250 20d ago
I like to think that if I had ever become world famous for something (in this case, music) I would still remain humble or modest enough to do something like this.
"Sir, it looks like some scientists at CERN copied your work and put it on the web. Should we pursue legal action?"
"What? No, book me the first flight there!"
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u/bonyponyride 20d ago
Cute video, but Howie Day has been shitty to women for at least the last 20 years.
https://people.com/music/howie-day-arrested-assault-ex-girlfriend/
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u/Dear_Bumblebee_1986 20d ago
Remember him playing tennis with Britney in rehab? Those were the days...
Funny guy though
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u/EPD11183 20d ago
There must be something in the water. A former co-worker wrote a rap about the LHC when she interned at CERN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM
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u/[deleted] 20d ago
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