Dark matter

12/12/21 • 17 min

What is dark matter? Why do we need it, and how can we find it? Dark matter is notorious for how it evades detection, and its presence is one of the biggest mysteries in cosmology. Yet we think it must exist. Not only that, but we think it must make up 80% of matter in the universe.

This episode I will explore how physicists discovered dark matter, what we know so far, and the particles which attempt to solve its secrets. Then I’ll consider what dark matter fails to explain and the possible alternative theories that complement dark matter’s weaknesses.
https://whatwedontknow.buzzsprout.com/

Previous Episode

Protein folding

This episode is about protein folding, specifically the protein folding problem that has pervaded biochemistry since 1960, when the first atomic-resolution protein structure was presented. First I will explain what proteins are, why they are important, what they are made of - proteins 101 - then begin unravelling the problem of how they fold. We will explore the motivations behind the problem and its greatest challenges. Finally we’ll consider the existing methods for determining protein structure, with particular focus on DeepMind’s AlphaFold, before finishing with the future of protein folding.
https://whatwedontknow.buzzsprout.com/

Next Episode

Consciousness

What is consciousness? Who experiences it? Why? How?
In this episode, I will first offer a definition of consciousness and consider the aspects that make it up. Then I’ll summarise some of the main questions we can ask about consciousness, drawing a distinction between the philosophical and neuroscientific sides to the problem. I will look over different scientific models of how the brain produces consciousness, as incomplete and flawed as they may be, before finishing with the practical consequences that understanding consciousness would have.
https://whatwedontknow.buzzsprout.com/

What We Don't Know - Dark matter

Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome to the eighth episode of ‘What We Don’t Know’, a podcast that explores the boundaries of human knowledge, investigating the unanswered questions and theories that unravel them at the frontiers of science. During this podcast I hope to get you interested in new areas of science, maths and technology, teaching you about existing concepts and igniting a curiosity for the things we have yet to know.

What is dark matter? Why do we need it, and how can we find it?