Physicist offers new theories on dark matter's origins
Physicist Stefano Profumo has just dropped two new ideas about where dark matter comes from.
One theory points to a secret "mirror world" with its own set of particles, while the other suggests dark matter popped up as radiation during the universe's wild growth spurt after the Big Bang.
Dark matter could be made of 'dark quarks'
In the first theory, dark matter could be made of mysterious "dark quarks" and "dark gluons," which might have clumped into tiny black holes early on—explaining why we can't see it but still feel its gravity.
The second idea says dark matter formed as a kind of cosmic leftover during the universe's rapid expansion.
Profumo's ideas could guide future research
These fresh takes move beyond old-school models and give scientists new ways to hunt for answers about what makes up 27% of the universe's total energy content.
If Profumo is right, we might be one step closer to cracking one of space's biggest mysteries.