French Physicist Clears the Air Over 'Chorizo in Space' Joke

The physicist pointed out that “no object belonging to Spanish charcuterie exists anywhere but on Earth” – at least, according to “contemporary cosmology.”

Prominent French physicist and philosopher of science Etienne Klein has apologized to his social media following over an apparent joke he played last weekend.

On Sunday, Klein tweeted an image that was, in his own words, a “photo of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, located 4.2 light years from us.”

Adding that the picture was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, he marveled at the “level of detail” and mused over how “a new world is revealed day after day.”

While some social media users were quick to realize that the object seen in the picture was in fact a “slice of chorizo,” there were also those who fell for the ruse, and those who did not deem Klein’s stunt as appropriate.

Photo de Proxima du Centaure, l’étoile la plus proche du Soleil, située à 4,2 année-lumière de nous.
Elle a été prise par le JWST.
Ce niveau de détails… Un nouveau monde se dévoile jour après jour. pic.twitter.com/88UBbHDQ7Z

— Etienne KLEIN (@EtienneKlein) July 31, 2022

“Coming from a scientific research director, it's quite inappropriate to share this type of thing without specifying from the 1st tweet that it is false information when you know the speed at which a false information spreads,” one netizen complained, as quoted by MailOnline.

In response to the feedback, Klein wrote that he feels “compelled to clarify that this tweet showing an alleged snapshot of Proxima Centauri was a form of amusement.”

“Let us learn to be wary of arguments from authority as much as the spontaneous eloquence of certain images,” he added.

In another tweet, Klein also quipped that, “according to contemporary cosmology, no object belonging to Spanish charcuterie exists anywhere but on Earth.”