Scientists are finally getting to hunt for dark matter
A brand-new dark matter detector has just been set up 1.93km beneath the French Alps, with help from Johns Hopkins University and other international scientists.
The goal? To finally get some answers about what makes up most of our universe.
As researcher Danielle Norcini put it, "We need to broaden our search, and now we can"—and this project hopes to do just that.
The prototype is currently using 8 sensors
This prototype uses super-sensitive silicon sensors to spot even tiny signals—like a single electron moving around an atom—that could point to lighter types of dark matter.
It's shielded by ancient lead and lab-grown copper to reduce background radiation, while the depth of the underground lab blocks out cosmic rays.
If all goes well, the team plans to expand from eight sensors now to over 200 as part of the DAMIC-M experiment, which could help confirm or rule out some big theories about what dark matter actually is.