Dark Matter

Dark Matter

DUNE neutrino detectors Neutrinos are still the most mysterious particle we know of
Nearly 100 years after being theorized, the strange behavior of the neutrino still mystifies us. They could be even stranger than we know.
big bang Ask Ethan: Why couldn’t the Universe have expanded forever?
For 13.8 billion years, the Universe has been expanding. But that couldn't have been the case for an eternity, and science has proven it.
dark matter 5 undeniable, truthful facts about dark matter
Dark matter has never been directly detected, but the astronomical evidence for its existence is overwhelming. Here's what to know.
A dense cluster of differently sized red, blue, and green spheres overlaps against a black background, evoking the biggest mysteries surrounding the origin of the universe. We still don’t know how “hot” the hot Big Bang was
We've long known we can't go back to infinite temperatures and densities. But the hottest part of the hot Big Bang remains a cosmic mystery.
Ask Ethan: How and when will the Universe die?
As the Universe ages, it continues to gravitate, form stars, and expand. And yet, all this will someday end. Do we finally understand how?
Two identical, intricate, circular geometric patterns with symmetrical, multicolored lines and shapes are displayed side by side on a white background—each subtly reflecting the argument against theory of everything’s promise of perfect symmetry. The argument against the existence of a Theory of Everything
The Holy Grail of physics is a Theory of Everything: where a single equation describes the whole Universe. But maybe there simply isn't one?
Abstract 3D geometric surface with intersecting translucent orange and brown planes, inspired by the amplituhedron theory of everything, set against a blurred orange background with white network lines. Ask Ethan: Could “positive geometry” unlock the theory of everything?
Since even before Einstein, physicists have sought a theory of everything to explain the Universe. Can positive geometry lead us there?
An artist's impression of a cluster of stars. New theory: Could early, supermassive stars explain the Universe?
With several seemingly incompatible observations, cosmology faces many puzzles. Could early, supermassive stars be the unified solution?
Two diagrams: the left shows a complex, circular, multicolored network; the right displays a theoretical physics diagram with labeled axes and colored particle symbols, capturing the intricate nature of physics hard concepts. No, theoretical physics isn’t broken; it’s just very hard
When you don't have enough clues to bring your detective story to a close, you should expect that your educated guesses will all be wrong.
Silhouetted quiver trees under a starry night sky, with the Milky Way forming a bright arc above the horizon—perfect for fans of stunning 2025 night sky images. See the best night sky images from Capture the Dark 2025
Across planet Earth, dark and pristine night skies are an increasingly rare resource. These photos showcase the best of what we still have.
laniakea Laniakea, our home supercluster, is already being torn apart
On the largest scales, galaxies don't simply clump together, but form superclusters. Too bad they don't remain bound together.
Ask Ethan: Did our Universe really arise from nothing?
The Big Bang was hot, dense, uniform, and filled with matter and energy. Before that? There was nothing. Here's how that's possible.
every square degree What we’ve learned after 35 years of NASA’s Hubble
When the Hubble Space Telescope first launched in 1990, there was so much we didn't know. Here's how far we've come.