Comments on: The Dark Side in Aspen http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:29:57 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: eddie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63542 eddie Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:37:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63542 On the received wisdom thing: I only realised after completing high school that it was OK to question the established science. Of course, how else is progress made? But you need the basics to step forward from. This, I think is the great failing off high school: that those who do best do so by receiving best the received. On the received wisdom thing: I only realised after completing high school that it was OK to question the established science.
Of course, how else is progress made? But you need the basics to step forward from.
This, I think is the great failing off high school: that those who do best do so by receiving best the received.

]]> By: Sili http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63304 Sili Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:11:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63304 Haven't we already had "superdark"? Or did those people people making the blackest material known to man call it something else? Are there any plans to send an ATLAS detector (only smaller, of course) into Space? Sounds to this layman like an allround detector all the way up there might be a nifty thing to have. Haven’t we already had “superdark”? Or did those people people making the blackest material known to man call it something else?

Are there any plans to send an ATLAS detector (only smaller, of course) into Space? Sounds to this layman like an allround detector all the way up there might be a nifty thing to have.

]]> By: moshe http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63149 moshe Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:53:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63149 Good point, lack of imagination goes a long way, now we can count down the seconds till something superdark appears somewhere... Yeah, I'm around (for a change), would be great to meet up, let's coordinate via more private channels. Good point, lack of imagination goes a long way, now we can count down the seconds till something superdark appears somewhere…

Yeah, I’m around (for a change), would be great to meet up, let’s coordinate via more private channels.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63148 Mark Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:42:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63148 You've got it Moshe, as soon as I get a signed agreement that nothing else gets the prefix "super-" By the way, I will be in Vancouver next week for a couple of evenings - are you around? You’ve got it Moshe, as soon as I get a signed agreement that nothing else gets the prefix “super-” By the way, I will be in Vancouver next week for a couple of evenings – are you around?

]]> By: Moshe http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63125 Moshe Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:31:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63125 On the completely frivolous side, may I suggest a moratorium on dark puns? (esp. ones referring the Star Wars) as I tell my daughter, it's only funny the first ten thousand times... Sounds like good fun though, I personally like Aspen better in summer, but like you I don't ski. On the completely frivolous side, may I suggest a moratorium on dark puns? (esp. ones referring the Star Wars) as I tell my daughter, it’s only funny the first ten thousand times…

Sounds like good fun though, I personally like Aspen better in summer, but like you I don’t ski.

]]> By: Shantanu http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63109 Shantanu Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:26:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63109 Metre, the real smoking gun evidence for dark matter would come from multiple methods such as direct dark matter detection from various experiments, indirect detection (for which there are many hints), production at LHC etc. Also, see <a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.3804" rel="nofollow">this </a> for a proposed smoking gun test for modified gravity vs dark matter using gravitational wave observations. Metre, the real smoking gun evidence for dark matter would come from multiple methods such as direct dark matter detection from various experiments, indirect detection (for which there are many hints), production at LHC etc.
Also, see this for a proposed smoking gun test for modified gravity vs dark matter using gravitational wave observations.

]]> By: Metre http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63101 Metre Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:27:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63101 @Martin, Thanks for the link. The modified gravity crowd also thinks they can explain the bullet cluster data w/o the need for dark matter, so I don't think the issue's been decided yet. As a layman, I don't have stake in either side of the argument, but am interested in how the cosmology community will go about determining which is correct. @Martin,

Thanks for the link. The modified gravity crowd also thinks they can explain the bullet cluster data w/o the need for dark matter, so I don’t think the issue’s been decided yet. As a layman, I don’t have stake in either side of the argument, but am interested in how the cosmology community will go about determining which is correct.

]]> By: Martin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63098 Martin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:46:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63098 Metre: for that we might have to fall back on astrophysics. Some people think we may already know the answer; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Cluster and links therein... Metre: for that we might have to fall back on astrophysics. Some people think we may already know the answer; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Cluster and links therein…

]]> By: Metre http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63097 Metre Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:35:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63097 Mark, Wish I had been able to come to the public session. A question I would have asked as a layman is what it would take to determine if dark matter really exists versus modifying gravity. I know a number of attempts to explain the data by modifying gravity theory (vice positing the existence of dark matter) have been made. Obviously detecting dark matter directly in the LHC would settle the matter, but what if LHC and other on-going experiments don't detect dark matter? Mark,

Wish I had been able to come to the public session. A question I would have asked as a layman is what it would take to determine if dark matter really exists versus modifying gravity. I know a number of attempts to explain the data by modifying gravity theory (vice positing the existence of dark matter) have been made. Obviously detecting dark matter directly in the LHC would settle the matter, but what if LHC and other on-going experiments don’t detect dark matter?

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/comment-page-1/#comment-63092 Mark Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:36:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/02/10/the-dark-side-in-aspen/#comment-63092 We're working on it Shantenu (but to be honest, it might take a little time). We’re working on it Shantenu (but to be honest, it might take a little time).

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