Is dark matter responsible for life to exist?

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by wegs, Jul 12, 2019.

  1. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    'How is dark matter essential for life?'
    Is that what you're asking?

    I think it's probably been answered, but the shorthand is :
    - without the mass of DM in the universe, there wouldn't be sufficient mass to cause galaxies to condense from gas and dust
    - gas and dust wouldn't collect and get so compressed by gravity so as to initiate fusion, which powers the stars
    - fusion in stars generates pretty much all elements heavier than helium (with a couple of exceptions**)
    - the universe wouldn't have carbon, nitrogen or oxygen
    - without these elements, the universe wouldn't even have organic molecules, let alone amino acids

    ** Here's an article that talks about the few exceptions:
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/ethans...iverse-that-arent-made-in-stars/#7f0f498339e6
     
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  3. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Yep (and also ''why") But, maybe the how answers the why.

    Thanks for this yea, I think others had explained it. Part of my interest lies in that it's mass that can't be detected as ''visible'' mass can be, so there is a certain amount of guesswork that goes into it, yes? And yet, it's essential for life to exist. I just find that interesting.
     
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  5. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    I know what you mean. The way I reconcile it is to remember that, scientifically, we are still in our infancy. It's been less than a century and a half that we had a scientific understanding of stars and life at all. (The isolation of DNA is less than 70 years old!)
    Everything that made nature what it is was "invisible" to us until very recently.
    It reminds me that the world is still young, that our journey is still on its first leg, and that there's still plenty of road ahead of us to explore.
     
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  7. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    You cant climb the mountain and be upon the paramount?
     
  8. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    lol "light meters''

    wow

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  9. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Well, it clearly has mass and so it has gravitational effects. Other than that, we don't know much about it yet, because we haven't identified what it is. There seems to be a lot of of, though.

    We know some things that it doesn't do, like that it doesn't interact with light and it appears to be electrically neutral, at least in bulk.
     
  10. TabbyStar Registered Member

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    DM fascinates me greatly. I try to read as much as I can about it. Recently I even read some comments about it being posited as antimatter. Something (if I remember correctly) stated that observed galaxies in the northern universe hemisphere to Earth (hope I worded it correctly) spin counter clockwise to galaxies we observe in the southern hemisphere to Earth. Stating that antimatter, having opposite charges, could be a possible reason for the opposite galaxy rotations.

    I am placing an URL here. Pretty sure I read about this concept while perusing there...although this exact URL may only lead to another DM commentary, or blog. Sorry, if I find the exact URL (to the antimatter galaxies afar comment) I will add it later.

    https://www.askamathematician.com/2...e-gravitational-shadow-of-parallel-universes/
     
  11. Q-reeus Banned Valued Senior Member

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    So much drivel and utter confusion. 'Shadow matter' the speculative topic of actual linked article has no connection there to anti-matter at all let alone implying opposite charge weirdly causes opposite spins of galaxies in opposed hemispheres. Any departures from purely random large scale galaxy spin distributions will be statistically insignificant.
     
  12. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Of course you can. That may be your purpose, but it's not the mountain's purpose.
     
  13. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    But, the paramount of God?
     
  14. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    What does "but, the paramount of God" mean?
     
  15. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    There is absolutely no evidence for any god, let alone any imagination about him/her/it being paramount.
    Plus of course it is an unscientific concept and as such, should be discussed in the religious and/or mythical threads.
     
  16. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Hang on now - let's hear the man out.

    I'm pretty sure that kx000 just declared that God's purpose is determined by me.

    D: Natural things don't have a purpose.
    K: You cant climb the mountain and be upon the paramount?
    D: Of course you can. That may be your purpose, but it's not the mountain's purpose.
    K: But, the paramount of God?

    If you unpack that, he is saying that God is there for me to climb, if I choose.

    That is definitely sounding better than the brochure seemed to indicate.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2019
  17. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    I think all we can unpack is that he doesn't speak English.
     
  18. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    Skepticism is the same thing as faith... such a sham.
     
  19. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    No, skeptisim is the basis of the scientific method, and when employed it shows distinctly that there is no evidence for any IDer. And like all supernatural and paranormal is based on myth and ignorance.
    And in case you are unaware this is a science forum.
     
  20. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    Agree to disagree.
     
  21. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    Agree that you are wrong.
     
  22. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Checked my book of words

    It is not so



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  23. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    Agree with whatever want it ain't making you happy.
     

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