Dark Matter

Dark Matter

particle collisions
The difference between predictions and observations of the magnetic properties of muons suggests a mystery for the Standard Model.
dark matter
Though a single measurement is not enough to definitively decide the debate, this is a major win for dark matter proponents.
Since dark matter eludes detection, the mission will target sources of light that are sensitive to it.
magnetic fields galaxy planck
The very dust that blocks our view of the distant, luminous objects in the Universe is responsible for our entire existence.
cosmic inflation
We thought the Big Bang started it all. Then we realized that something else came before, and it erased everything that existed prior.
singularity
We confidently state that the Universe is known to be 13.8 billion years old, with an uncertainty of just 1%. Here's how we know.
Every time our Universe cools below a critical threshold, we fall out of equilibrium. That's the best thing that ever happened to us.
every square degree
The Universe is 13.8 billion years old, going back to the hot Big Bang. But was that truly the beginning, and is that truly its age?
how much dark matter
The Universe gravitates so that normal matter and General Relativity alone can't explain it. Here's why dark matter beats modified gravity.
The Universe begins with negligible amounts of angular momentum, which is always conserved. So why do planets, stars, and galaxies all spin?
From the tiniest subatomic scales to the grandest cosmic ones, solving any of these puzzles could unlock our understanding of the Universe.
jwst deep field
No. No no no. Just... no. The JWST has truly blown our scientific minds, but it's a pure crackpot idea that the Big Bang is now disproven.
Our model of the Universe, dominated by dark matter and dark energy, explains almost everything we see. Almost. Here's what remains.
The key problem with the dark matter hypothesis is that nobody knows what form dark matter might take.
dark matter
There's an extra source of massive "stuff" in our Universe beyond what gravitation and normal matter can explain. Could light be the answer?
Searching for dark matter, the XENON collaboration found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Here's why that's an extraordinary feat.
jwst deep field
Even with only 12.5 hours of exposure time, James Webb's first deep-field image taught us lessons we've never realized before.
inflationary beginning big bang
No matter how beautiful, elegant, or compelling your idea is, if it disagrees with observation and experiment, it's wrong.
standard model color
The Standard Model of elementary particles has three nearly identical copies of particles: generations. And nobody knows why.
jwst change science
On July 12, 2022, JWST will release its first science images. Here are 5 ways the telescope's findings could change science forever.
galaxy cluster colors
Over time, the Universe becomes less dominated by dark matter and more dominated by dark energy. Is one transforming into the other?
advanced civilization
Do the laws of physics place a hard limit on how far technology can advance, or can we re-write those laws?
Silhouette of a person standing on a field at night, gazing at a clear sky filled with stars and glowing celestial objects, evoking the wonder described by Jim Al-Khalili.
Popular media often frame scientists as having a cold, sterile view of the world. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
John Templeton Foundation
James Webb Hubble
Look out at a distant object, and you're not seeing it as it is today. It's size, brightness, and actual distance are all different.
Dr. Tyson explains where we might find aliens, why "dark matter" is a misleading term, and why you can blame physics for your favorite team's loss.
For some reason, the charges on the electron and proton are equal and opposite, and their numbers are equal, too. But why?
In the latest edition of the Starts With A Bang podcast, we talk with soon-to-be Dr. Arianna Long about galaxies, from birth to today.
cosmic rays
Our Universe requires dark matter in order to make sense of things, astrophysically. Could massive photons do the trick?
dark energy
To answer any physical question, you must ask the Universe itself. But what happens when the answers aren't around anymore?