What is Dark Matter?

There have been attempts to explain the "missing matter" as some kind of special particle, but what if this dark matter is ordinary matter? Let me explain. We're pretty sure the Oort cloud contains uncountable smaller bodies as far as the Sun's gravity can reach. But what's beyond that? Interstellar space. And interstellar space is....empty? But what if it's not as empty as we think? We have found planets that are not part of a star system. And we have observed that smaller bodies are numerous, whereas larger bodies are few in number. So maybe, interstellar space contains countless, unseen small bodies, like in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, instead of being empty. This would account for the mass that our telescopes cannot see. Non-luminous chunks of rock, frozen gas, and ice, with a temperature of absolute zero, held loosely together by gravity. Even enough of just hydrogen could hang together to form a small planet, with nothing to disturb it. OK, I know we have some physics people on ATS, what do you think?

a reply to: Parthin

I'm not physics, but I think (someone link) the hypothesis has more matter between the galaxies than in them.

a reply to: Parthin

Could be nothing more than neutrinos, according to some.

a reply to: Bedlam

I think it will be one the intangible things that explains what gravity is.


Im not a scientist. This is just my thought.

I kinda think it's just light traveling. E=mc. Mass and energy always moving in infinite directions causes gravity to cease. Just a quick thought though. No idea really.

a reply to: Legman

Strongest sources of gravity are the center of objects such as stars and galaxies. So dark matter can't be at the center of those unless our guess of the masses of suns and black holes is waaay off.

Imo, Dark matter is the dust at the center of and between the sparks of light in the Universe.

originally posted by: Legman
a reply to: Bedlam

I think it will be one the intangible things that explains what gravity is.


Im not a scientist. This is just my thought.

Well, there's another possibility, I suppose. Gravity acts mostly like what we know, except we haven't figured out yet the part that causes THIS behavior. Sort of like the disjoin between Newtonian and Einsteinian physics.

originally posted by: Parthin

This would account for the mass that our telescopes cannot see.

I'm not much of a "science man", but to me it would seem that if we can't see it...

...it probably doesn't exist. At least that's what scientists say about everything else they can't observe and quantify.

But that would mean their equations are completely wrong and they really have no idea what they're talking about.

And we certainly can't have that now, can we?

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: Parthin

This would account for the mass that our telescopes cannot see.

I'm not much of a "science man", but to me it would seem that if we can't see it...

...it probably doesn't exist. At least that's what scientists say about everything else they can't observe and quantify.

But that would mean their equations are completely wrong and they really have no idea what they're talking about.

And we certainly can't have that now, can we?

Well, of course what you're seeing here is science admitting that their understanding of gravity doesn't cover what they're observing, so they're looking for that reason. And one way that would fit would be 'dark matter'. So, they know what sorts of behavior such 'dark matter' would have to have in order to fit, so now they're looking to see if they can find it.

Lacking that, they'll have to find another explanation and test THAT out.

But what they don't have the benefit of, is some instant way to look it up online, or religiously delivered knowledge from on high. It'll take time, and a lot of work, to find out what's actually going on.

But I agree, you're not much of a science man, or you'd understand a bit more of the process.

a reply to: NthOther

The electromagnetic spectrum didn't exist until we had instruments to see it

According to the estimated gravity due to the observed matter of our galaxy, it should fly apart as it rotates.
a reply to: intrptr

Could be, that's a reasonable idea. Neutrinos are almost massless, though.
a reply to: Bedlam

originally posted by: Bedlam

But I agree, you're not much of a science man, or you'd understand a bit more of the process.

What "process"?

Making things up?

a reply to: NthOther

You may be ignorant

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: Bedlam

But I agree, you're not much of a science man, or you'd understand a bit more of the process.

What "process"?

Making things up?

Sure. You see, that's all science is. Made up stuff to fool you. We actually have a God chained down in a cave in New Mexico, it's where all the stuff you're using REALLY comes from. That computer? Pfft! No one actually knows how they work. They're created by the God.

" not much of a "science man", but to me it would seem that if we can't see it...

...it probably doesn't exist. "


Come on. That's just a ridiculous thing to say. Dark matter can be anything we want it to be right now. I've yet to hear a good idea about what it is. But soon I believe we will know

originally posted by: Bedlam

Sure. You see, that's all science is. Made up stuff to fool you. We actually have a God chained down in a cave in New Mexico, it's where all the stuff you're using REALLY comes from. That computer? Pfft! No one actually knows how they work. They're created by the God.

What in the world are you talking about?

You wouldn't be trying to maliciously characterize me as a "science-denier", would you? Completely sidetracking the discussion into an ad hominem attack via sarcasm because you don't like the fact that I don't agree with you?

Surely not.

Anyway. I'll leave you guys to your consensus dark matter discussion with this:

Are you picking and choosing what you will believe without evidence? That's really the only point I was trying to make with my initial post.

originally posted by: Toolman18

Dark matter can be anything we want it to be right now.

What is a ridiculous thing to say?

And you wonder why some people think you're making it all up.

Holy crap.

originally posted by: NthOther

You wouldn't be trying to maliciously characterize me as a "science-denier", would you? Completely sidetracking the discussion into an ad hominem attack via sarcasm because you don't like the fact that I don't agree with you?

Surely not.

Actually, I'm being sarcastic because you seem to be utterly ignorant of the way science works.

Anyway. I'll leave you guys to your consensus dark matter discussion with this:

Are you picking and choosing what you will believe without evidence? That's really the only point I was trying to make with my initial post.

And MY post was to try to explain to you that the entire 'dark matter' thing was evidence you were totally off-base.

If they were trying to cover up "problems with their equations", then all that would be necessary would be to not say anything. "Dark matter" is a hypothesis created to explain the discrepancy they're admitting to. Is science saying "Yes, this is the totally proven, unquestionable answer!!11!" ?

No. No they're not. They're off looking for it. Looking for other explanations that don't require 'dark matter'. Trying to prove it can't BE "dark matter". And at the end of quite a bit of research, there will be either confirmation or rejection of 'dark matter' as an explanation.

So the very thing you're trying to use as evidence that 'they're making stuff up' is evidence they're not.

originally posted by: NthOther

You wouldn't be trying to maliciously characterize me as a "science-denier", would you? Completely sidetracking the discussion into an ad hominem attack via sarcasm because you don't like the fact that I don't agree with you?

By the way, that wasn't an "ad hominem attack". An ad hominem would be to call you a fool because you're so obviously wrong.

Sarcasm is used to mock a particular viewpoint here - that of "Science is all stoopid and just makes things up" whilst typing it out on a computer, by electric light in an air conditioned room.