Did scientists just find dark matter? Signs point to yes

We may be on the verge of solving one of the universe's greatest mysteries

Dark Matter
(Image credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Coe (NASA JPL/Caltech and STScI))

In May 2011, the space shuttle Endeavor docked with the International Space Station to unload some expensive cargo: A $2 billion particle detector.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), which will continue working as long as the I.S.S. is in operation, has been collecting electrons and positrons floating through space to help physicists answer one question: Does dark matter actually exist? On Wednesday, CERN scientists released their first batch of results, and, according to Discovery News, the answer is a "cautious, yet exciting, yes."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.