Experiment detects hints of dark matter

[Saru]

The space station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer has picked up evidence that could indicate dark matter.

A $2bn experiment on the space station has made observations that could prove to be the first signs of dark matter, a mysterious component of the Universe.

Read more...

[Sundew]

It seems fantastic that the majority of all the matter in the universe is unseen and largely undetectable. Very strange indeed.

[masaimara]

Experiment detects nothingness

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Experiment detects nothingness

You couldn't be more wrong. It has detected hints of an awful lot of "somethingness". Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.

[Alekx]

Very interesting. The porcentages shown are impressive, gives us a good approximation of understanding that what we normally see is just a tiny little bit of what really is out there

[Occams Razor]

Space has a smell. After the first spacewalk there was a smell of burnt orange peel, or burnt almonds in the spacecraft. They initially thought it was some kind of problem with the spacecraft but found that the smell was there in other spacecraft after all later mission spacewalks.

I think this smell must consist of physical particles in order to be detected by the nose. Perhaps it's the smell of dark matter. Perhaps NASA have bought samples of dark matter back to Earth many times without even knowing it.

[Sundew]

Space has a smell. After the first spacewalk there was a smell of burnt orange peel, or burnt almonds in the spacecraft. They initially thought it was some kind of problem with the spacecraft but found that the smell was there in other spacecraft after all later mission spacewalks.

I think this smell must consist of physical particles in order to be detected by the nose. Perhaps it's the smell of dark matter. Perhaps NASA have bought samples of dark matter back to Earth many times without even knowing it.

Seems to me that if dark matter exists like that in "empty" space, it also would exist here on earth. After all, we are talking about something that accounts for gravitation, and the mass of earth itself generates gravity, so the two should seeming attract one another. Even if the bits of dark matter were tiny like the micro-metorites which add several thousands tons to earth's mass every year (and are detectable under a microscope), then you would expect to find some evidence here on the earth as well. We would not have to accidentally bring it back in the cargo hold of a space shuttle. This is assuming that dark matter would displace a certain amount of "normal" matter if the two were in the same environment. Perhaps the reason we cannot find it is that it exists in another dimension yet occupies the same space as normal matter; the only discernible effect it has on our universe is added gravitation.

As far as the smell goes, after being cooped up in a space capsule for several days/weeks with no shower, that might not be the odor of space.......

Edited April 7, 2013 by Sundew

[Waspie_Dwarf]

ScienceCasts: A Whiff of Dark Matter on the ISS

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for breaking science news.

An advanced particle detector onboard the International Space Station may have recorded its first whiff of Dark Matter. Researchers are excited about the possibility of finally understanding what this mysterious substance is made of.

Source: Science@NASA - YouTube Channel

[Starseed hybrid 1111]

that's cool and good finding too.I read That dark matter makes up 90% of the universe so.in other words there's a lot we don't see because we only see 10% with te naked eye or human eyes.So this means great news on many levels.