Celebrate international Dark Matter Day with SURF’s trivia night

LEAD, SD— There’s far more to our universe than meets the eye. Everything we can see, everything we know exists, makes up just 5% of the known universe. So, what about the other 95%? Astronomers and astrophysicists believe that approximately 25% of the missing mass and energy in the universe is made up of dark matter.

Experiments around the world continue to search for dark matter, yet this ubiquitous substance remains a mystery.

Dark Matter Day, an international event, aims to shed some light on that mystery. Each October, Dark Matter Day events spread the word about the many fascinating ways scientists search for dark matter, and the importance of devoting scientific resources to unraveling this cosmic riddle.

Celebrate Dark Matter Day with Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) at “Deep Talks: Dark Matter Day Trivia Extravaganza” on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center (160 W. Main Street, Lead, SD). Trivia categories will include history and culture of the Black Hills region, major science headlines of 2022, and the search for dark matter.

SURF has hosted multiple dark matter experiments, including LUX-ZEPLIN, the world’s most sensitive WIMP dark matter detector.

“At SURF, we have a front-row seat to the international hunt for our universe’s missing matter,” said Erin Woodward, communications specialist at SURF. “What better way to celebrate our search for the unknown than a trivia night where we can revel in the bits of knowledge we have collected!”

The event begins at 5 p.m. MT with a social hour that includes a Crow Peak Brewing Company beer tasting (must be 21 and older to drink) and light refreshments. The trivia competition will begin in the Visitor Center classroom at 6 p.m. MT. The presentation will also be livestreamed on Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook starting at 6 p.m. MT. For virtual attendees, trivia answer sheets are available for download on our website.

The Deep Talks lecture series is sponsored by Crow Peak Brewing Company, RCS Construction, Northern Hills Federal Credit Union, Edward Jones, and Chuck and Jolene Lichtenwalner. 

Click here for full event information. 

Sanford Underground Research Facility is operated by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) with funding from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Our mission is to advance world class science and inspire learning across generations. Visit SURF at www.sanfordlab.org.