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The 5 greatest puzzles in fundamental physics
bigthink.com/ ^ | Ethan Siegel

Posted on 10/04/2022 6:19:13 AM PDT by BenLurkin

1.) How did the Universe begin?

What “type” of inflation occurred? What preceded and/or caused inflation?

2.) What explains neutrino mass?

Are neutrinos Dirac or Majorana particles? Are there heavy, sterile neutrino species?

3.) Why is our Universe matter-dominated?

More matter than antimatter permeates the Universe.

4.) What is dark matter?

Its effects are understood, not its underlying cause.

5.) What is dark energy?

Its properties indicate a constant, positive spatial energy density.

(Excerpt) Read more at bigthink.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: antimatter; astronomy; darkenergy; darkforce; darkmatter; diracparticles; majoranaparticles; neutrino; physics; science; speedofdark; stringtheory
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1 posted on 10/04/2022 6:19:13 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: SunkenCiv
ping


2 posted on 10/04/2022 6:20:08 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

As I recall - the new telescope showed that there were a lot more galaxies then previously understood.

Which would mean that they have to recalculate all of the Dark Matter stuff.

I’m personally skeptical of dark matter/dark energy just for exactly the reason that I think we just can’t see everything so it was introduced just to compensate for our lack of knowledge.


3 posted on 10/04/2022 6:24:23 AM PDT by reed13k (For evil to triumph it is only necessary that good men do nothing)
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To: reed13k

Dark matter is a term used to rationalize the fact the data does not support the cosmological models.


4 posted on 10/04/2022 6:26:23 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: BenLurkin

It is my belief that “if” there was a big bang it was simply the same process on a universe scale that happens to a star.

It forms, condenses via gravity, then eventually explodes and the cycle repeats.

My guess is that our universe is simply 1 among an infinite number of universes much like the stars are in a single universe.


5 posted on 10/04/2022 6:27:39 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: BenLurkin

6 posted on 10/04/2022 6:28:44 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary? Pray for President Biden: Psalm 109:8)
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To: BenLurkin

4 & 5 are made up to make equations seem correct.


7 posted on 10/04/2022 6:33:11 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: BenLurkin
Simple answers:

1.) What “type” of inflation occurred? What preceded and/or caused inflation?

Elections have consequences. Stolen elections even worse.

2.) What explains neutrino mass?
The Dims did everything to ban all nuclear forces until nuclear energy became the new "it".

3.) Why is our Universe matter-dominated?
Why does it matter what matters?

4.) What is dark matter?
Illustrations speak louder than words.

5.) What is dark energy?
black privilege

8 posted on 10/04/2022 6:34:05 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: BenLurkin

How about these two

1) Why do scientists continue to believe dark matter when there is no proof of it’s existence. Clinging to the big bang theory demands it, that’s why

2) Why do scientist continue to believe in dark energy when there is no proof of it’s existence? See above.


9 posted on 10/04/2022 6:35:36 AM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: circlecity

Dark matter: Aether, but wearing a sexy new skirt.


10 posted on 10/04/2022 6:39:40 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: BenLurkin
These questions, while vexing, are not the most important things to your survival....


11 posted on 10/04/2022 6:40:29 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: BereanBrain

“Why do scientists continue to believe dark matter when there is no proof of it’s existence. Clinging to the big bang theory demands it, that’s why”

I don’t think you understand what Dark matter is. It has nothing much to do with the Big Bang.

It also has a rather simple but boring explanation that is looking more and more to be true.

There are four forces: gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, weak force.

* Matter interacts with all four
* Energy (photons) interact with all but the strong force
* Neutrinos interact with only gravity and the weak force
* Dark matter interacts with only gravity

Dark matter is just the soup of particles floating in the universe that have a very limited path to interacting with everything else.


12 posted on 10/04/2022 6:50:58 AM PDT by Renfrew
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To: reed13k

“As I recall - the new telescope showed that there were a lot more galaxies then previously understood. Which would mean that they have to recalculate all of the Dark Matter stuff.”

That’s not correct. Dark matter is about interactions within galaxies and their close neighbors. It’s not about the total mass of the universe so more galaxies doesn’t have an impact.


13 posted on 10/04/2022 6:53:36 AM PDT by Renfrew
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To: EEGator
“ 4 & 5 are made up to make equations seem correct.”

Just like Einstein’s initial “fudge factor”

14 posted on 10/04/2022 6:57:56 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: BenLurkin

Electrons have consequences.


15 posted on 10/04/2022 7:04:58 AM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: Renfrew

Yep. Dark matter was conceived to explain how galaxies could ever form and interact the way they do given that not only is the universe expanding but expanding at an exponentially increasing rate. They posit that there is a massive amount of invisible matter providing the gravitational forces to accomplish this.


16 posted on 10/04/2022 7:10:25 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: reed13k
I’m personally skeptical of dark matter/dark energy just for exactly the reason that I think we just can’t see everything so it was introduced just to compensate for our lack of knowledge.

Me too. It always seemed to me to be a mathematical construct, so to speak, to make all the equations work out.

17 posted on 10/04/2022 7:30:15 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Great minds drink alike...me and my baby havin' a hell of a night. - - BB King)
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To: TexasFreeper2009
My guess is that our universe is simply 1 among an infinite number of universes much like the stars are in a single universe.

Bingo.
Question; In all of nature (that we can observe) where is there only ONE of anything?

18 posted on 10/04/2022 7:33:25 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Great minds drink alike...me and my baby havin' a hell of a night. - - BB King)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
“Question; In all of nature (that we can observe) where is there only ONE of anything? ‘

That wouldn’t support the idea that there are multiple “natures”. An infinite expansion is just as much a logical fallacy as an infinite regression.

19 posted on 10/04/2022 7:45:52 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: BenLurkin

Is the inability to answer these (AND OTHER) questions the reason the whole physics establishment has gone ga-ga over the quantum thingy?


20 posted on 10/04/2022 7:45:59 AM PDT by Honest Nigerian
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