Embracing Dark Matter

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 What’s The Matter? Something Not ‘Normal’?


According to Professor Elisabetta Barberio from University of Melbourne, over 70% of our galaxy is made up of dark matter, a theoretical substance which as per NASA, can only be mapped out in galaxy clusters based on gravitational lensing with light and space-time. With its wavelength straying far from the radio-frequency continuum, this omnipresent matter’s highest concentrated location cannot be definitively concluded by physicists; even so, many have speculated that an answer lies in more darkness: black holes.


This flyby mission will send an RTG-powered space probe into the Hyades Cluster- the hypothetical hub of the closest known black holes to our galaxy- in an attempt to determine properties of dark matter such as the force and nature of its gravitational pull. It will also investigate dark matter’s ability to interact with the nucleus of an atom in a chamber prohibiting the entry of cosmic rays and radioactivity.


As black holes and dark matter do not emit light on the electromagnetic spectrum, RPS is quintessential for reliably and continuously powering our space probe by harnessing energy from the radioactive decay of Pu-238 isotopes in such distant regions with no readily available solar power.


Speaking of power, mine is faith: faith that the future is bright, even if extracting that brightness may come from novel sources like nuclear batteries. Faith guides me to believe that despite technology being presently unequipped to permeate through dark matter, I shouldn’t cease to fervently tinker onwards in the hopes that ultimately, science will prevail.

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