The Dark Side Of The Universe

For all we understand about the universe, 96% of what’s out there still has scientists in the dark. Astronomical observations have established that familiar matter—atoms—accounts for only 4% of the weight of the cosmos. The rest—dark matter and dark energy—is invisible to our telescopes. But what really is this dark stuff? How do we know it’s there? And what does it do? From the formation of galaxies to the farthest reaches of space, it appears that darkness rules. Without dark matter and dark energy, the universe today and in the far future would be a completely different place. We were joined by leading researchers who smash together particles, dive into underground mines, and explore the edges of the known universe in search of clues to nature’s dark side.

This program is part of the Big Ideas Series, made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation.

The World Science Festival gathers great minds in science and the arts to produce live and digital content that allows a broad general audience to engage with scientific discoveries. Our mission is to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.

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Original Program Date: June 2, 2011
MODERATOR: John Hockenberry
PARTICIPANTS: Brian Greene, Glennys Farrar, Katherine Freese, Michael Turner, Saul Perlmutter, Elena Aprile, MOMIX

Brian Greene's introduction on dark matter. 00:22

What we don,t see by MOMIX 07:00

John Hockenberry's Introduction. 16:17

Participant Introductions 21:05

Why do we know that there is dark matter? 25:10

The lensing effect that reveals dark matter. 31:33

A computer simulation of what dark matter was doing as the universe was expanding. 37:11

Capturing Wimps with the XENON100. 41:40

What the XENON100 detector looks like. 48:20

Where do we go to find events that prove dark matter exists? 56:18

If lensing is correct, could that determine an unknown force? 01:00:43

Supersymmetry vs Another Universal Brane. 01:09:20

Using a supernova to detect Dark Matter. 01:15:40

How does a supernova tell you about dark matter? 01:21:20

How did Einstein predict that dark energy existed? 01:26:18

What is the counter explanation of dark energy? 01:30:40

The ratio of dark energy makes a perfect environment for life. 01:35:30

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The World Science Festival strives to cultivate a general public that's informed and awed by science. Thanks to your contributions, we can continue to share the wonder of scientific discoveries with the world.

[DrJeeps]

As I've said on many occasions, the World Science Festival discussions and the Royal Institute presentations keep me up well into the night. Ya gotta love science!

[richarquis]

I play these WSF videos on my phone almost every night while I sleep. My dreams are filled with people talking about astrophysics and cosmology - Whatever the real physicists are saying in the videos becomes the dialogue in my dream, interwoven with my natural dream motifs. It's amazing, I can hardly imagine not listening to them in my sleep now.

Skip dance, go to Introduction - 16:30 - Show starts at- 24:58.

[alexcastro]

Brian Greene is a genius.
He has a real talent for explaining extremely difficult concepts to laypeople by having a great command of the language

[maartenv]

nice that we can see for free this on Youtube.

[ramachandrabhakta]

Mr. Brian, please keep this channel free and keep regularly uploading the videos. I am not a science student but I'm a huge science enthusiast. I have been regularly watching your videos and learnt so much about our universe and its element, despite being outside the field of science. My billion thanks to you. Please continue the good work. 🙏

[cmanmaxwell]

Damned be to World Science Festival! Let me go to sleep already!

[eA]

I love this series...great for anybody interested in modern science.

[VivekTiwari]

Did anyone else find the 2nd host (not professor Brian) somewhat irritating?

[daidaitastic]

This is the second dance I've seen during a World Science Festival discussion. This is also the second time I've been absolutely impressed, inspired, and mezmerized by a dance piece during a World Science Festival discussion. Amazing!

[solefood]

Wow I decided to watch this after an evening of expanding my mind 🍄 and it was a nice kick off to the show to say the least this guy appreciated it. Timing was everything on this one. Thank you for another gem universe.

[Impedancenetwork]

Jesus Christ if John Hockenberry keeps interrupting the scientist I'm going to shoot my fucking monitor! Why does he think he need to clarify each scientists statements? He feels he has to explain what the LHC is? There's probably only 10% of the audience doesn't know what that is. I don't think you need to interrupt the scientist explanation to clarify or elaborate things that he thinks the audience might not know. I actually think Hockenberry is interrupting because he wants to feel important and to let everyone know that he understands this stuff. I wish he would just shut up.

[GregJay]

is anyone noticing how amazing those dancers are? watching them I am like wtf? really good .

[MrVikingsandra]

Who needs Netflix when you have these incredible World Science Festival videos? 👏

[bob.]

1:39:23 : Caring only about truth and not about being right ... I wish politicians were more like this

[Jabranalibabry]

That dance was amazing and the music spot on loved the science as well but it's really nice to see art being merged to it

[alexcastro]

"There's nothing that impossible about there being extra matter. It's just that we don't know what it is"
We just can't see it, measure it, touch it, weigh it, create it or destroy it. What's so impossible?

[Heavy-metaaal]

Brian Greene really knows how to explain clearly. But when we study very much, I feel we forget to explain thing easily.

[Lilmiket]

let me just be the one to say, thank god dark matter and energy is hard to see. because if it wasn't we would know nothing about the universe. because we would be shrouded in a blanket of something that we cannot see through!