What is Dark Matter and How Simple is the Universe?
Ancient Greek philosophers believed the universe was astoundingly simple: everything originated from four elements earth, wind, fire, and water. Today, we’re taking another look at our universe because we’re wondering how simple it may actually be. Everything started with the search for dark matter, the stuff that holds our galaxy together and invisibly pervades the universe. Dark matter outweighs heavily regular matter which actually makes up only ~5% of the universe. Today, physicists are thinking dark matter may be just another vibration of a universal ‘string.’ This string is speculated to be the foundation of all of existence. There’s still much testing to go, says CERN physicist James Gillies.
- World’s highest experiment has found first hints of dark matter (thetimes.co.uk)
- Researchers May Have Finally Detected a Dark Matter Particle (universetoday.com)
- Dark Matter Mystery Explained: A Reader’s Guide (Infographic) (space.com)