Science

Aussie College Student Finds Universe‘s ’Missing Matter’

Aussie College Student Finds Universes Missing MatterFor decades, astrophysicists have failed to locate the universe’s “missing mass,” a unique matter that scientists believe was present during the universe’s beginning stages. While some of the world‘s scientific greats haven’t been able to solve the puzzle, a 22-year-old Australian university student has done just that.

The young girl is an amateur who made the discovery during a summer internship program. According to Yahoo! News:

Undergraduate Amelia Fraser-McKelvie made the breakthrough…locating the mystery material within vast structures called “filaments of galaxies”.

Monash astrophysicist Dr Kevin Pimbblet explained that scientists had previously detected matter that was present in the early history of the universe but that could not now be located.

“There is missing mass, ordinary mass not dark mass … It’s missing to the present day,” Pimbblet told AFP.

“We don’t know where it went. Now we do know where it went because that’s what Amelia found.”

Fraser-McKelvie, an aerospace engineering and science student, was able to confirm after a targeted X-ray search for the mystery mass that it had moved to the “filaments of galaxies”, which stretch across enormous expanses of space.

To be fair to the expert scientists, until recently, the technologies needed to properly locate the matter hadn’t yet been created. Still, it’s profoundly exciting that such a young scientist-in-training was able to stake claim to the find. Discoveries like these have the potential to lead to all sorts of interesting technologies (in fact, this find may lead to the creation of a telescope that will better assist experts in examining the matter).

In the end, perhaps we can then better understand our universe’s complicated and mesmerizing history.

Comments (67)

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  • TheAmericanRifleman
    Posted on May 30, 2011 at 12:01am

    This is interesting to say the least. Perhaps a near discovery of an enrgy thread / power source connecting all the heavenly bodies. FTL?

    Report Post » TheAmericanRifleman  
  • Terence57
    Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:43am

    Endless contemplation. After our first child was born, like most new parents, I interpreted everything differently. Endless questions. As if history begins at our childrens’ births we seize upon the notion that everything is a process. Almost for the first time we ask, “how long has this been going on?” Then it struck me, what if the Big Bang is actually a Big Pulse, one that has been like God’s heartbeat measured with spaces of trillions of years or more in between? Children will do that to you.

    Report Post »  
  • JCoolman
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:31pm

    Yeah, but who or what made the missing mass?

    And another thing…do you expect us to believe that you can tell anything about anything that is millions of lightyears away?

    Gimme a break.

    Report Post »  
  • Randyrocker
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:21pm

    We should hire her to find Barack Obama’s missing college records and original birth certificate, not some photoshop-illustrator job that’s a sorry criminal excuse for one.

    Report Post »  
  • JGraham III
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:05pm

    For those who care to, please do a search on Barry Setterfield. He is a physicist who along with another have postulated that the speed of light is not a constant but is actually slowing down. If his theory is true, it knocks a lot of scientific sacred cows into the trash. Interesting to consider for those who still can approach scientific “certainties” like evolution and the 15 billion year age of the earth with an open and inquiring mind.

    Report Post »  
  • NO LEFT TURN
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 7:17pm

    If Space/Time is finite and expanding, then what‘s that stuff that it’s expanding into?

    Report Post » NO LEFT TURN  
  • Spiritk9
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 3:43pm

    But….nothing was said about what the missing matter actually is or where it is, just that some girl says she found it. If she did, wonderful, but I’d kinda like to know more.

    Now if they’d only recognize that “dark energy” is really only vacuum on a universal scale, we’d be getting somewhere.

    Report Post »  
  • NormanDeArmond
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 2:15pm

    Monash(?) University Undergraduate Amelia Fraser-McKelvie discovered what the Bible claimed long ago. That Jesus was the lamb that was slain, the Son of God, who took away the our sins, before the FOUNDATIONS of the kosmos were established. God laid these foundations and I believe the universe whirls about these foundations the Son of God londg ago established.

    Report Post » NormanDeArmond  
  • NormanDeArmond
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 2:09pm

    I tried to say resterday but said it wrong: To keep the comments readable on topic
    After the comment put [5 replies] [view replies]. Otherwise. Obama billions make it to easy to steer the comments off “The stories.”

    Report Post » NormanDeArmond  
  • garylee123
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:28pm

    “In the end, perhaps we can then better understand our universe’s complicated and mesmerizing history.”
    God created it…..mystery solved…..can I have a grant?

    Report Post »  
  • justbecause
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:50am

    So that‘s were the rest of Obama’s stimulus money went!

    Report Post »  
  • DisposableWorker
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:13am

    M/E : S/T Look people; it’s real simple. Mass and energy are in inverse proportion to each other and in direct ratio with space and time. All the ignoramuses in the world want to palm off fake “mysteries” and bogus science on you. Just study and you’ll figure out what’s is real. You should see my groups PPT on Global Warming and the Arctic; you’d never again have to listen to either “side” in that idiot contest either!

    Report Post »  
    • RN MOM
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:31am

      I am so very interested in learning about this, could you let me know where to find material that explains this in a simple way- not that I cannot learn the theories, but I often find that the writing assume that everyone grasps the basics. It makes me question the validity of the theories because I have too many unanswered questions when I am done reading.

      Report Post » RN MOM  
    • awizard
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:12pm

      @RN Mom; Ignore DisposableWorker’s nonsense, what he just posted makes no sense … I’m off to track this story down.

      I’m afraid this subject will take time and effort to understand (‘been an interest of mine for years I’m not an astrophysicist but I have an idea what they were looking for [but then too I'm a little slower than some, maybe you'll do better])

      @ DisposableWorker; What you said is/was exactly the problem “Mass and energy are in inverse proportion to each other” they are not, as we understood it. The other part “ and in direct ratio with space and time” makes no sense at all.

      Report Post » awizard  
  • tiredofprogressives
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:10am

    Our tax money stolen from us to give to these Universities to find “hidden matter”.

    WTF

    Report Post » tiredofprogressives  
  • papa2thdoc
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:10am

    I’ve often wondered if the universe is expanding from the “big bang”, can‘t it’s origin be back tracked to the point of it’s beginning?

    Report Post »  
    • awizard
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:54am

      Yes …

      Report Post » awizard  
    • kill3rb
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 1:08pm

      Actually, no. Correct me if i’m wrong, but from my understanding of the big bang theory, everything in the universe was contained within a single point. The Big Bang was simply that point starting to expand.

      Report Post »  
    • TheAmericanRifleman
      Posted on May 30, 2011 at 12:27am

      Good point, kill3rb.

      Report Post » TheAmericanRifleman  
  • dizzyinthedark
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 10:34am

    Man has been trying to figure out the world around them since the beginning of time. Astrophysicists look to the galaxies thinking this the final frontier trying to figure it out while medical science looks within trying to figure out the workings of the human body with the brain the final frontier. Perhaps we will come to find out there is a connection, one mirror’s the other? God‘s miracles and man’s struggle to find Him, make sense of Him.

    Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
    • TheAmericanRifleman
      Posted on May 30, 2011 at 12:25am

      It seems funny to me, the unbelieving scientist spend so much of their time preoccupied with the origins of man. Didn’t their prophet, Darwin, settle the issue in their hearts for them once and for all? I am a believer in the God of the bible and love science as well. So I follow alot of the scientific writings and discoveries with heightened intrest. Almost always in their writings, these highly educated thinkers are dwelling on discovering the “origins” secret like they have something to prove to the world. They are so obsessed with proving to themselves, and everyone else, that God isn’t real that they have lost countless intellectual hours on just getting us out there. That’s what I want them to do, just get us out there. My two cents…

      Report Post » TheAmericanRifleman  
  • Rashomon
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 10:31am

    So long and thanks for all the fish.

    Report Post » Rashomon  
  • tess q
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 10:15am

    how about that something more historical than the historical 2008 election.

    Report Post » tess q  
  • powhatan
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:37am

    Every time we think we know it all, we find more…either smaller and smaller or larger and larger. I have no problem with God and Science. It is all fascinating.

    Report Post » powhatan  
  • Deb C
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:09am

    Everything is part of everything – certain parts are more pronounced

    Report Post » Deb C  
  • Ialmostforgot
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:01am

    I wonder if there was a big bang when God said,“Let there be light”.

    Report Post »  
  • HumbleMan
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 7:28am

    Maybe she could find the missing cash, misplaced by the government last year.

    Report Post » HumbleMan  
  • Cap8tain
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 6:02am

    Astrophysics. A science with its own language and syntax. The translation from scientist speak to media is at best like reading assembly instructions translated from Chinese to English by, a first semester English 101, Iranian college student. I agree with you SEMIDISK Never trust the media when it comes to science.

    Report Post » Cap8tain  
  • joel228
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 5:49am

    Space is eternal and unlimited. Any other assumption or argument is illogical. However if you believe in the big bang you have to make the untenable assumption that matter is limited. You can’t squeeze unlimited matter into limited space.

    I’m glad to see that the effects of dark matter and more recently the effects of dark energy have now been observed. Unfortunately scientists will go to their graves preaching the ridiculous theory of a universal big bang and all that goes with it including that the universe had a beginning and therefore will also have an end.

    Report Post » joel228  
    • ofallon
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 7:56am

      Excellent!

      Report Post »  
    • motes_art
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 8:58am

      You obviously have zero scientific knowledge on this matter (pun not intended). The Big Bang is a very logical theory. We have observed the expansion of the universe; the logical conclusion to which is the Big Bang. It is inconceivable that the universe is infinite and eternal. Only God is eternal. He created the universe at a specific point in time (the beginning) and He will end it at a specific point in time. I hope this discovery helps to shut up atheistic idiots like Stephen Hawking. So tired of his BS!

      Report Post »  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:54am

      Joel228, your statement is spilling over with pure ignorance. The speed of light is known, that’s why science can look back in time to the point from which our universe sprang. Oh, and while I’m at it, here’s another news flash for you sport:the earth is not flat! How about that Joel?

      wow

      Report Post »  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 1:39pm

      part 1 of 3

      motes_art

      Your assumption of what I do or do not know of the science behind the big bang is as bad as your assumption about the beginning of the universe. To say it is inconceivable that the universe is infinite and eternal implies you can conceive of a beginning. That’s quite a trick if you can do it. When I was a young child I would try a mind game to try to reach out to the end of space. It was easiest to eventual imagine a big brick wall where I could stop. That is until I thought what’s on the other side of that wall.

      The big bang is humanity’s way of saying there is a big brick wall beyond which we need not ask any questions. But what was before the big bang? I know the standard reply is that time and space also did not exist. That’s like saying there is nothing beyond the wall so stop asking questions. If time and space did not exist neither did a trigger mechanism for a big bang to occur.

      There are two arguments for a big bang.
      1) That the universe is expanding.
      2) There is a detectable background radiation in space of 3 degrees K.

      cont.

      Report Post » joel228  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 1:40pm

      part 2 of 3

      The supposed logic is, since it is expanding then yesterday everything was closer together than today. Go far enough back in time and it was all just one jumbled bit of mass or energy. It was so tightly packed that all could fit in a thimble, no wait, on the head of a pin, no I mean it was smaller than the smallest part of an atom. Yea that’s the ticket. Over the years the supposed initial size has continually gotten smaller.

      The logic is flawed. If I saw two people walking away from each other and took a snapshot in time could I conclude that at one point they were back to back, or maybe one body? Obviously not. Neither should we suppose that the only explanation for an expanding universe is a big explosion 13.7 billion years ago.

      Have you ever heard of quantum physics? There is an observed phenomena that has been referred to as “popping particles” where matter seems to go into and out of existence. With the discovery of dark matter and dark energy which they now believe to be much greater than directly observable matter, a whole new reality in the universe must be accounted for. In an infinite ocean of matter and space you can have continuous movement outward of the observable and still never run out of material to form and expand. That is what this universe is. They say dark energy is the force behind it. Maybe, but I say intelligent design is also behind it – God.

      Report Post » joel228  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 1:43pm

      part 3 of 3
      Here’s a brief history of the big bang theory.

      In Einstein’s day there was a preacher/physicist/astronomer named GEORGES LEMAÎTRE (1894 – 1966). He did some math using Einstein’s equations of relativity and determined the universe must be expanding (something Einstein at first did not believe). He concluded that the expansion must have started with one small body and a big explosion. It is reported that in a meeting between the two, referring to the big bang Einstein told him “your mathematics is correct but your physics is abominable”.

      Einstein believed in a counter force to gravity that kept the universe from collapsing in on itself. Later he was talked out of believing that and said it was his biggest blunder. He should have stuck to his guns because in the last couple of decades that has proven to be true. They call that counter gravity force dark energy. The universe is expanding ever rapidly as galaxies get farther and farther apart until even light from one will never reach the other. That makes perfect sense to me but those that discovered it were perplexed and did not expect it or even believe the data at first.

      I think that also is to assuming to say a background radiation proves a big bang. They say the universe is cooling and should now be 3 degrees K as we have measured. But in space there are infinite sources of radiation emitting bodies. Of course there is going to be a background radiation. Always.

      Report Post » joel228  
    • beckisnuts
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 2:35pm

      People think that because they can create things, something bigger than themselves must have created all that they see. That’s why they need to have god(s). It’s all superstition and lazy thinking. Off you go Joel123.

      Report Post »  
    • joel228
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 7:16pm

      beckisnuts
      Your logic is truly dizzying. I crumble and cower before the shadow of your intellect. Surely there is nothing left to be said.

      Report Post » joel228  
    • TruthLover
      Posted on May 29, 2011 at 1:06am

      Bravo, Joel228. Bravo.

      I have NO idea what you meant by half of what you said…I’m not ashamed to admit it…but what I “hear” is that humans are fools to think we can conceive of any of this! As if something so phenomenal and detailed could ever be comprehended and defined by man. Who are we? There are so many variables, so many new observations, and the laws of physics themselves are even changing and becoming better defined – there is no end to the knowledge we do not possess. To label the universe “understood” by any human-conceived theory is sheer arrogance and insanity.

      Every advancement in physics, every discovery of archaeology, every new geological or fossil discovery – all point to one thing. The awesome forethought of the Creator God. No random acts could have ever knit all of this together with such precision, such order, and such delicate care.

      Report Post » TruthLover  
    • The1776er
      Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:06pm

      @Joel228

      Sir, you have just won The Game. Congratulations.

      Salute!

      Report Post »  
    • CalloftheWild
      Posted on May 30, 2011 at 5:22pm

      Prove me wrong!
      Newton’s laws of motion that form the basis for classical mechanics became limited in value, when Einstein came along with the constancy and speed of light on bodies. I say, in like manner, using light as our measuring tool, what we observe in our neighborhood of galaxies cannot be assumed to be true for the objects of deep space. You have no way of knowing if your spectrograph analysis gives you true data at that distance. Who knows, since space, time, and distance can be stretched as one approaches the speed of light, the converse may be true, what if light can also be stretched by space, time, and distance? The details of the Big Bang are speculative at best and totally wrong at worse!

      Report Post » CalloftheWild  
  • semidisk
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 5:14am

    As we should have all learned with Jacob Barnett a few months ago, never trust the media when it comes to science things. (To be fair, I’m not familiar with astrophysics and it could be perfectly legitimate.)

    Report Post »  
  • Rosey
    Posted on May 28, 2011 at 5:08am

    Let’s see if it holds up to scientific reveiw. Either way, good job young lady.

    That’s pretty cool.

    Report Post » Rosey  
    • AOL_REFUGEE
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:20am

      Well, now we know WHERE it (the MISSING, ordinary mass, that is) went (somewhere in the universe, but didn’t we already know that?).

      But, what is DARK mass/matter? Eh? Riddle me THAT, Batman.

      Report Post » AOL_REFUGEE  
    • Sinista MACE
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:42am

      Maybe I’m mistaken, but I could’ve SWORN that this was already known… for decades…

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • Jim AZ
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:51am

      Motes: Hawking WAS atheistic and after many years in study became creationistic. Recently the media portrayed his as an atheist, again–But I don’t think he changed his mind, again.
      –When they find-out new stuff, it’s a good thing. When the act like they know everything, it’s nauseating.

      Report Post »  
    • awizard
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 11:51am

      @Rosey
      Ditto, “good job young lady”

      Now I’ll have to find out more about this … And yes, “They” have been looking for the “missing mass” of the universe for many years now … The “big bang” coincides with the bible description and we can trace it back to the beginning, it’s just that when we get there our science falls apart and that may be where the “God thing” comes in … “Let there be light” …

      “Creation” and “Evolution” can exist together … just not maybe on our understood time line.

      Report Post » awizard  
    • grandma7
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 12:58pm

      Congratulations.

      Maybe she can find the libs’ global warming for them. Not in CA, we’re freezing.

      Report Post »  
    • Lotus503
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 4:07pm

      All those high-powered college professors with their theories about the universe…and a student figures out where most of the mass in the universe is. Maybe we should ask the student to lay the global warming hoax to rest?

      Report Post »  
    • chickenfried
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 4:54pm

      It’s not missing…it‘s wrapped around Moochelle’s hips.

      Report Post » chickenfried  
    • chickenfried
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 4:55pm

      Oh crap…I hit reply before I could retract that statement.

      Report Post » chickenfried  
    • Gasparri
      Posted on May 28, 2011 at 9:35pm

      We never owned it so how the hell did we loose it?

      Report Post » Gasparri  
    • jzs
      Posted on May 29, 2011 at 1:13am

      This was a several press release in a local newspaper with a couple of paragraphs. I can believe that this person has found SOME of the missing mass in the universe. The mystery that the article does not address is the missing mass within galaxies: the observed rotational velocity of stars within our galaxy cannot be explained by the the mass we can observe.

      This person is onto something I have no doubt, even though it’s not been published in a peer reviewed publication. But whatever the case, there’s still a lot of missing mass.

      Report Post » jzs  
    • The1776er
      Posted on May 29, 2011 at 10:00pm

      @AWIZARD

      Creation and Evolution cannot exist together.

      If God didn’t create the universe like in the Bible, then why would he not tell us that He made it by evolving creatures over billions of years? It all boils down to this: do you trust God? If you say that you do, why then do you not believe His Word?

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on May 31, 2011 at 9:45pm

      lol, sounds like a bunch of ‘faith’ to me.

      Report Post »  
    • Amos37
      Posted on May 31, 2011 at 10:27pm

      This is a great way to help the the earthquake victims in their country.

      Report Post »  
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