Dark Matter becomes weirder than Sci-fi.
Dark Matter becomes weirder than Sci-fi.
It appears that only 4% of the universe is visible, the rest is made of Dark Matter. That’s right – 96% of the known universe is made of something we can’t see.
And as for Dark Energy (DE to us buffs), that accounts for 70% of all the energy in the known universe and we haven’t a clue what it is.
All the ‘ordinary’ matter in the universe is made of atoms and all atoms are made of quarks. Everything is made of the same building blocks.
But Dark Matter (DM to us authorities on the subject) is made of something else. It does not appear to be quarks. So I will deign to name them prior to their discovery. I want it noted that the subatomic particles that make up the ‘atoms’ (or Goodwins, as they are now termed) of Dark Matter are to henceforth be known as Ophers.
I predict that there will be a number of different Ophers just as there are with quarks. Rather than calling them upward, downward, strange and charm as with quarks I want them named after my favourite Rock stars. So, depending on how many we later discover, in descending order, I want them named Roys (after Roy Harper), Dylans (after Bob Dylan) Beefies (After Captain Beefheart), Jimis (After Jimi Hendrix and Woodys (after Woody Guthrie). If there are more discovered then I would like them called Elmores (after Elmore James) and Nicks (after Nick Harper). Hopefully we’ll eventually discovered loads more and we can deploy Howlins (after Howlin Wolf) and Muddy’s (after Muddy Waters) as well as Beatles and Countrys (after the Fab Four and Country Joe and the Fish).
The interesting thing about Dark Matter is that it is probably all around us but we cannot see it or feel it. It is only detectable by its gravitational effect. There is a whole world out there made of Ophers all constructed out of Roys, Dylans, Jimis, Beefies, Nicks, Elmores and Woodys. There are people just like us moving through us right now having a conversation that is a conjecture about what the other 4% of their Dark Matter might be made of.
I told you it was weirder than imagination.
If Dark Matter is 96% of the known visible universe then why can we see through it? If it is matter surely we would not be able to see it, or see through it, therefore nothing would be known of it’s existence. You said it has a gravitational effect which is why we now know it is there, but how do we know this gravitational effect isn’t a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with Dark Matter but is rather an effect of a Black Hole?
Dave – Because it’s weird. That is what is so interesting about it. We don’t know what it is, what it’s made of and we can’t see it. I think we can see black holes (or at least know where they are and see their effects) – they are a phenomenon of our normal matter. We can’t see Dark Matter or Dark Energy. We can only work that it’s there and that it makes up 96% of the universe. It’s invisible. Light passes straight through it as if it wasn’t there. It obeys different laws.
I love stuff like that. It makes me think and wonder. Imagine worlds made of something else with people who are made of a different type of substance who can’t see us! Or is that just the Sci-fi writer in me?
Reality is much stranger than fiction.