Public Science Talk: The Invisible Universe – Ghost Particles and Dark Matter
Located on the campus of South Dakota Mines, Classroom Building 104E, Rapid City, SD
The Invisible Universe: Ghost Particles and Dark Matter, a Mile Beneath the Black Hills
Most of the universe is invisible—everything we can see makes up only about 5% of its total contents. This engaging talk explores the search for the unseen through two remarkable scientific stories rooted in Lead, SD: the discovery of neutrinos by Nobel Prize-winning research in the Homestake Mine and today's search for dark matter with the LZ experiment deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. It also highlights cutting-edge research exploring how neutrinos and dark matter may be connected, and how experiments such as LZ and DUNE could help answer some of the biggest questions in modern physics. No physics background is needed—just curiosity.
The Institute for Underground Science at SURF presents a science talk by Dr. Anil Thapa, a theoretical particle physicist whose research explores neutrinos and physics beyond the Standard Model. His work investigates the origins of neutrino mass and other fundamental questions through experiments such as LZ and DUNE. Dr. Thapa is also dedicated to mentoring students and supporting the next generation of particle physicists.
📅 July 14, 2026
🕕 6:00–7:00 p.m.
📍 Classroom Building 104E, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD
This event is free and open to the public. Whether you're a science enthusiast, student, or simply curious about the universe, we invite you to attend.
Questions? Contact sgranum@sanfordlab.org