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by Coexist on September 27th, 2010

Coexist

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What evidence is there for dark matter and dark energy?

Also what exactly is dark matter and energy? I know that dark matter is responsible for galaxies staying together but I don't know what it exactly is.

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Answers. 6 helpful answers below.

  • by playdoo on September 27th, 2010

    playdoo

    none except to explain the "error" of the increasing accelation of the universe

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  • by Zaidy on September 27th, 2010

    Zaidy

    Dark matter is essentially nothingness... it's empty space that does not have oxygen or other gasses filling it up. Dark matter is created by particles of matter being close enough together that their gravitational pull keeps them a certain distance apart and nothingness in between (the Dark matter).

    Dark energy is roughly the same, however instead of it being areas in space that are filled with nothing at all, they are filled with a hypothetical form of energy. Basically, it's the Dark matter that can push matter.

    This is all hypothetical though.

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  • by Sympho de Proggy on October 4th, 2010

    Sympho de Proggy

    well there is no concrete evidence for the existence of either.
    .
    both are attempts to explain certain inconsistencies in how the universe functions...
    .
    the 2 problems are:
    1) the universe acts as if it has more mass than we can see it has.
    2) the universe expands at a faster rate than should be allowed by theoretical calculation.
    .
    dark matter and energy are theories for explaining these inconsistencies, respectively.
    .
    as far as i know there is no clear evidence for the existence of either one of them.
    .
    there are also alternative theories to explain these discrepancies.
    .
    a good example for the second point is the blotchy universe theory, which proposes the universe is less homogeneous than we assume it is.
    as such, different areas expand at different rates and it is only our observational bias that is the trouble.
    .
    as i recall, dark matter and energy have something going for them in that (at least theoretically) the calculated sum of dark matter, dark energy, matter, and energy is exactly 0.
    .
    this opens the door to some fascinating theories on the origin of the universe, making it possible that it's simply a 0 energy uncertainty quantum event.
    .
    then again, the fact that something is elegant doesn't make it correct :)
    .
    hope this was clear....
    as always, i'm happy to clarify XD

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  • by Takei-Shihan on September 27th, 2010

    Takei-Shihan

    So far, nothing is even known "for absolute certain" about dark matter/energy. The only evidence is not exactly evidence. It is confusing data that does not seem to balance in the equations without adding the theory that there may be something else that is not accounted for in the equation ... so to balance the equation, there was a new theory developed that there may be such a thing as a previously unknown substance, and they called it dark matter and dark energy.

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  • by ................l on September 27th, 2010

    ................l

    It's just a theory that they gave cool names.

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  • by James_S5121 on March 5th, 2011

    James_S5121

    Dark matter as I understand it is an attempt to explain the lack of measurable mass in the Universe. I would be making a guess but something similar for dark energy? Also most spiral galaxies have a black hole at its center. Several Laws to bring into account Law of conservation of mass, matter, and energy. My personal theory is that there are other states of matter, a sixth state of matter that is compressed at a sub micro atomic level into a cascade of states and connection points for the altered matter to be reborn as a nebula conserving these laws. A theory i remember goes like the universe expands to certain point then snaps back and you live your whole life in reverse but you do not even know it. So in theory we could bounce back every 10 to the billionth power. just one that i think about sometimes as a novelty.

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