Seriously, What Is Dark Matter?

# Stuff You Should Know: Dark Matter

Josh and Chuck dive into one of the universe's biggest mysteries: dark matter. They explore how astronomers discovered that galaxies are spinning way faster than they should be based on visible matter alone, leading scientists to conclude that some invisible substance is holding everything together. The episode breaks down the clues that led to dark matter's discovery, from observations in the 1950s through modern computer simulations and 3D mapping projects, then gets into the wild particle physics theories about what dark matter actually might be—from undiscovered particles like WIMPs and SIMPs to alternative physics explanations that challenge Newton himself.