Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Joe L. Ogan on 21/02/2010 17:18:14

Title: If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking?
Post by: Joe L. Ogan on 21/02/2010 17:18:14

If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking for it?  It may be that looking for Dark Energy is the equivalent of looking for a needle in a hay stack when the needle never existed.  Thanks for Comments.  Joe L. Ogan

Title: If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking?
Post by: BenV on 21/02/2010 17:22:49

Well, it's more likely that they will shed some light on dark energy - which isn't a known thing as such, but the name given to the energy we can infer is present.  If we find something else that explains that energy, then "dark energy" will not go away, it will be illuminated.  Likewise dark matter.

Title: If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking?
Post by: Soul Surfer on 21/02/2010 22:42:40

You have got your priorities very wrong in your assumption.

Both dark matter and dark energy were not things that anyone expected to find and no one ever "looked" for them.  it was just that the observations of the universe showed discrepancies pointed to the existence of these things as the simplest solution to the observational anomalies. It was not until these things were shown by several different and independent types of observations that they gained wide acceptance.  It was quite a fight.  Scientists are more active  looking for alternative solutions but the confirmations of the observations keep rolling in!

Title: If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking?
Post by: Joe L. Ogan on 21/02/2010 23:01:26

Quote from: Soul Surfer on 21/02/2010 22:42:40

You have got your priorities very wrong in your assumption.

Both dark matter and dark energy were not things that anyone expected to find and no one ever "looked" for them.  it was just that the observations of the universe showed discrepancies pointed to the existence of these things as the simplest solution to the observational anomalies. It was not until these things were shown by several different and independent types of observations that they gained wide acceptance.  It was quite a fight.  Scientists are more active  looking for alternative solutions but the confirmations of the observations keep rolling in!

I set no priorities, I made no assumptions.  You may be right but there are many who do not think that there is anything named Dark Energy.  I merely asked when we will know to stop looking.  Thanks for comments.  Joe L. Ogan

Title: If there is no such thing as Dark Energy, when will they stop looking?
Post by: Farsight on 22/02/2010 01:37:01

Joe, dark energy isn't what they're looking for. People know that it's associated with the energy of space, and whilst the vacuum catastophe causes an issue, it's dark matter that they're looking for and can't find.