Comments on: Why does it … matter? Part II http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dark Matter Tests Positive (Sort of…) | QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10627 Dark Matter Tests Positive (Sort of…) | QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:01:30 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10627 [...] This is not to be confused with antimatter, which stars in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, or with dark energy, an even more bizarre cosmological [...] [...] This is not to be confused with antimatter, which stars in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, or with dark energy, an even more bizarre cosmological [...]

]]> By: QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » The Expanding Universe http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10626 QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » The Expanding Universe Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:41:55 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10626 [...] in a Big Crunch. Is there enough matter out there? We don’t think so, we think that there is too much dark energy in the universe. This dark energy counteracts the affects of matter and pushes space [...] [...] in a Big Crunch. Is there enough matter out there? We don't think so, we think that there is too much dark energy in the universe. This dark energy counteracts the affects of matter and pushes space [...]

]]> By: QUEST Science Blog - KQED » Gamma Rays and Monsters http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10625 QUEST Science Blog - KQED » Gamma Rays and Monsters Mon, 07 May 2007 17:30:48 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10625 [...] Image courtesy of http://www.hulkmovie.com/navigation/multimedia.htm. Continuing on the theme of Supernovae from my last posting, I’ll take this opportunity to address an earlier question that was asked by [...] [...] Image courtesy of http://www.hulkmovie.com/navigation/multimedia.htm. Continuing on the theme of Supernovae from my last posting, I’ll take this opportunity to address an earlier question that was asked by [...]

]]> By: Kyle Dawson http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10623 Kyle Dawson Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:03:47 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10623 Alternative explanations have been proposed, including a new type of grey dust that is uniformly spread throughout the universe and absorbing SN light. It has also been suggested that dust from the galaxies that host supernovae may evolve and change its behavior as it ages. It has also been suggested that supernovae may change as their host galaxy ages. However, none of these explanations adequately describes the effect that is observed. It is also true that more recent observations of other cosmological effects appear consistent with the dark energy scenario. Supernovae were the first measurement technique to reveal this supposed dark energy, but now several other experiments show similar results. That being said, the dark energy explanation is not very satisfying, and we are still looking for alternative explanations. Maybe we just don't know what gravity is? Alternative explanations have been proposed, including a new type of grey dust that is uniformly spread throughout the universe and absorbing SN light. It has also been suggested that dust from the galaxies that host supernovae may evolve and change its behavior as it ages. It has also been suggested that supernovae may change as their host galaxy ages. However, none of these explanations adequately describes the effect that is observed.

It is also true that more recent observations of other cosmological effects appear consistent with the dark energy scenario. Supernovae were the first measurement technique to reveal this supposed dark energy, but now several other experiments show similar results.

That being said, the dark energy explanation is not very satisfying, and we are still looking for alternative explanations. Maybe we just don't know what gravity is?

]]> By: Barry Starr http://science.kqed.org/quest/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10624 Barry Starr Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:20:25 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/04/23/why-does-it-matter-part-ii/#comment-10624 So dark energy is invoked to explain supernovae being dimmer than we think they should be? Are there any alternative explanations? Maybe we don't really understand supernovae... So dark energy is invoked to explain supernovae being dimmer than we think they should be? Are there any alternative explanations? Maybe we don't really understand supernovae…

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