Scientists haven’t detected it, and can’t show it exists; they infer it does.
Mathematics argues galaxies should be tearing themselves apart unless they have 10 times more mass than we can see.
So scientists have tried to explain the gravity holding galaxies together by postulating the existence of matter we can’t see, which they dubbed “dark” matter.
Then the search was on. And so far has come up empty.
So the searchers are building bigger detectors (photo, left). And if those machines don’t detect dark matter, then what? The Guardian says “scientists would be stumped …. Other approaches would have to be taken.” (Story here.)
Like different detection methods. Or a different theory of what holds galaxies and solar systems together.
Wikipedia says (here) that while “the existence of dark matter is generally accepted by the scientific community, some astrophysicists intrigued by certain observations which are not well-explained by standard dark matter argue for various modifications of the standard laws of general relativity, such as modified Newtonian dynamics, tensor–vector–scalar gravity, or entropic gravity.”
I know you’re dying to know what those are, so click on the Wikipedia link and follow the links there.
Below right: Artist’s concept of what dark matter might look like if we could see it
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Bumblebees should not be able to fly. Please no one tell the bumblebees.
Well done, my friend.