Science Superheroes discuss dark matter, dark energy in pop culture

Last night, three science superheroes from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SD Mines) made an appearance during Sanford Lab’s Dark Matter Day. Although they don’t fight crime, they do everything in their power to shed light on the role dark matter and dark energy play in the universe.

In their panel discussion “Shedding light on dark matter and dark energy,” SD Mines physics lecturer Michael Dowding, aka Mr. Incredible, along with fellow science superheroes and SD Mines Ph.D. students James Haiston Jr., aka Quailman, and Jack Genovesi, aka Jack in the Box, discussed the dark side of the universe—and, perhaps more importantly, the role it plays in popular culture. 

Genovesi started the discussion by first identifying scientific terms associated with the search for dark matter, including WIMPs and Axions, both candidates for dark matter particles. Still, Genovesi said, "We don’t know what dark matter is. That’s why we’re here, right?”

After a brief introduction to dark matter and dark energy, Dowding delved into pop culture. 

“Dark matter and dark energy have both been used in numerous works as plot devices in video games, TV shows, movies and literature,” Dowding said. “Both have been included in everything from outlandish technologies, aka technobabble, fuel or power sources, as well as magical influences.”

Dark matter and dark energy make up roughly 95 percent of the universe, yet we know very little about them. Which could be what makes them such a great topic for popular culture, Dowding said.

Although we can’t see these elusive particles, scientists know they exist because of the way they act on the universe—dark matter can be thought of as the glue that holds galaxies together, while dark energy is a force that pushes things apart.

“Everything we know about the universe—regular matter and energy—accounts for a fraction of the universe,” said Dowding.

Haiston closed the discussion with an overview of the many dark matter experiments going on around the world, including the LUX and LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiments. 

"Where there is science, there is technology," Haiston said. "Almost every luxury of the first world is provided by scientific findings and the useful application of technology."

More than 60 people attended the event. The prize for best costume went to Nancy Geary, who received a $25 gift certificate to the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center.

Sanford Lab’s Dark Matter Day, held at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center in Lead, was sponsored by Matt Klein, Century 21 Associated Realty of Deadwood and Dakota Shivers Brewing in Lead.

For more information about Dark Matter Day events around the world, go to www.darkmatterday.com