[thedoc (OP)]

Alan Alderson  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Do you think it is possible that dark matter, dark energy and dark flow do not exist and that it is rather that we do not fully understand the laws of gravity, which are more complex than that revealed by Issac Newton and Einstein?

Thanks for the programme, the podcast format is brilliant as I can listen over and over again until i can grasp it all.

Regards
Freddie Alderson
Gibraltar


What do you think?

[Pmb]

Do you think it is possible that dark matter, dark energy and dark flow do not exist and that it is rather that we do not fully understand the laws of gravity, which are more complex than that revealed by Issac Newton and Einstein?

Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

[Thibeinn]

Dark matter, dark energy, etc are things made up by Quantum physicists who are attempting to explain away the discrepancies which repeatedly show up in the equations and experiments of their unfoundable theories.

[Pmb]

Dark matter, dark energy, etc are things made up by Quantum physicists who are attempting to explain away the discrepancies which repeatedly show up in the equations and experiments of their unfoundable theories.

That's not true. Dark energy and dark matter have nothing to do with quantum physics. They are matter whichas has been postulated to exist to describe astronomical observations. Dark matter to explain the rotation curves in galaxiex and dark energy to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe.

[Pmb]

Dark matter, dark energy, etc are things made up by Quantum physicists who are attempting to explain away the discrepancies which repeatedly show up in the equations and experiments of their unfoundable theories.

Where on earth did you ever get such ideas from?? They're very far from truth. Dark energy and dark matter have absolutely nothing to do with quantum physics. They are matter whichas has been postulated to exist to describe astronomical observations. Dark matter to explain the rotation curves in galaxiex and dark energy to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe.

[Thibeinn]

Dark energy and dark matter have absolutely nothing to do with quantum physics.

"The most widely accepted explanation for these phenomena is that dark matter exists and that it is most probably composed of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that interact only through gravity and the weak force. Alternative explanations have been proposed, and there is not yet sufficient experimental evidence to determine which is correct. Many experiments to detect proposed dark matter particles through non-gravitational means are under way."

"Candidates for nonbaryonic dark matter are hypothetical particles such as axions, or supersymmetric particles"

"The theory of supersymmetry predicts new families of particles interacting very weakly with ordinary matter. The lightest supersymmetric particle could well be the elusive dark matter particle."

"Particle physics models suggest that dark matter is either axions (hypothetical new particles associated with QCD), or WIMPs (hypothetical new particles with weak interactions and TeV-scale masses, natural by-products of theories of supersymmetry or extra dimensions)."

Obviously, Quantum Physics has something to do with dark matter.

I must add one more quote...

"Searches for candidate dark matter particles are underway at present-day colliders. If these particles have masses at the TeV scale, they will surely be discovered at the LHC."

I hope I don't need to point out to you the fact that astronomers do not use particle colliders in their field.

[burning]

However, the statement that dark matter and dark energy were hypothesized to address problems with quantum physics is entirely false.

[Pmb]

You missed by entire point. You claimed that Dark matter, dark energy, etc are things made up by Quantum physicists who are attempting to explain away the discrepancies which repeatedly show up in the equations and experiments of their unfoundable theories. That is what’s untrue. The reason their existence was postulated had nothing to do with quantum mechanics. I never intended my response to be interpreted to mean that dark matter detection had nothing to do with quantum theory. It’s your claim that dark matter/energy was postulated by quantum physicists for the purpose to explain a quantum theory or experiment that’s untrue.

[Thibeinn]

However, the statement that dark matter and dark energy were hypothesized to address problems with quantum physics is entirely false.

I must concede to you on the point that dark matter and dark energy were not hypothesized to address problems with Quantum Physics. It was simply a typo.
 
I correct my statement... Dark matter and dark energy were hypothesized by astronomers to explain discrepancies in there findings.
 

[Thibeinn]

You missed by entire point. You claimed that Dark matter, dark energy, etc are things made up by Quantum physicists who are attempting to explain away the discrepancies which repeatedly show up in the equations and experiments of their unfoundable theories. That is what’s untrue. The reason their existence was postulated had nothing to do with quantum mechanics. I never intended my response to be interpreted to mean that dark matter detection had nothing to do with quantum theory. It’s your claim that dark matter/energy was postulated by quantum physicists for the purpose to explain a quantum theory or experiment that’s untrue.

Your statement, "Dark energy and dark matter have absolutely nothing to do with quantum physics", led me to believe otherwise.

Your point has been made now that you have clarified and I agree.  I had made a typo and corrected it with a later post.