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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Ghost Universe

posted by on January 23 at 15:12 PM

dark.jpg

Researchers from the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) have released a map of dark matter that they created with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope. On the left is regular old light matter (good enough for me, dammit) and on the right is the dark matter that we can only see through its gravitational effects on light matter. But as the article says, “most cosmologists believe dark matter plays a crucial role in how large structures such as galaxies emerged after the Big Bang.” So there’s something we can’t see, smell, touch, hear, or taste, and it is essential in the formation of life as we know it. Worrisome.

What’s more: I’m having trouble getting this image out of my head. I see poltergeists here. Spirits, ghouls, the undead scarifying the universe. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer a world composed solely of comprehensible light matter. But I guess we’re way past that now.

You can read about it here, but I warn you, it’s unsettling.

RSS icon Comments

1

"So there’s something we can’t see, smell, touch, hear, or taste, and it is essential in the formation of life as we know it. Worrisome."

You can't see, smell, etc protons, neutrons, electrons or any of the other standard particles either, and they are arguably more essential to life as we know it.

Posted by Chris | January 23, 2007 3:31 PM
2

And of course, just because we can't detect dark matter (or any other form of matter in its elemental state) with our limited sensory organs, doesn't mean its not detectible using more sensitive instruments.

Just sayin', in case anybody from the Religious crowd tries to use your statement as some sort of lame justification for the existence of a diety.

Posted by COMTE | January 23, 2007 3:42 PM
3

Good point, Chris. But what I'm worried about (and partly I was just trying to be funny) is that we know (pretty much) what those elementary particles have to do with life as we know it. Dark matter is still a mystery.

And yes, COMTE, our sensory organs are rather limited. That picture's still pretty creepy.

Posted by Chris | January 23, 2007 3:49 PM
4

So, even space appears to be fairly evenly divided between red states and blue states, but leaning red. I agree that the amount of blue is worrisome and unsettling.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | January 23, 2007 4:05 PM
5

Dude, you can only perceive a small segement of the electromagnetic spectrum. Visible light is a tiny portion of it, infrared radiation is perceived as heat, and the rest of it it completely imperceptible to us. We infer it's there because you get cancer or can cook TV dinners quickly.

Posted by Gitai | January 23, 2007 4:47 PM
6

How the hell did they get "COSMOS" from "Cosmic Evolution Survey?" People play too damn fast and easy with their acronyms.

Posted by Paulus | January 23, 2007 9:24 PM
7

It's probably a bunch of psychic residue left over from when God (or Allah, if you prefer) blew himself up for the Big Bang.

Posted by treacle | January 24, 2007 12:11 AM
8

Worrisome maybe, but hey, it pays the wages.

Posted by Andrew (member of the COMSOS team) | January 24, 2007 10:55 AM

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