"Cosmic Web" dark matter-based filamentary structure of Universe visualized

[destrekor]

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/01/quasar-illuminates-a-cosmic-filament-and-a-mystery/

This was discussed and taught as essentially fact back when I had taken astronomy courses in college (2007-2008?), so it's been a theoretical mechanism quite well understood and predicted, but visualizing it in reality has been a challenge, apparently.

I think some original evidence was seen in imagery that resulted from studying the Cosmic Microwave Background. This latest news is a little more confirmation, seemingly illuminating what they had believed to be there in the first place.


For anyone not up to speed: the idea is that the dark matter filament structure is the defining structure of the universe. It is part of the "original gravity" that helped pull in normal matter gasses to coalesce into stars and galaxies.
It too has shape-shifted and spread over time, which it might be that the dark matter itself pulls the galaxies along and apart... and what is somewhat unknown is what is driving the dark matter to move. They might just be moved by the same source, and they just stick together due to their properties.

Original simulations and imagery from the background radiations (CMB, and the greater CBR itself) definitely suggest the filaments were far more clumped together, and the stars and protogalaxies that formed at that early "clumpy" time overlapped.

 

[soulcougher73]

 

[z1ggy]

It's pretty neat. I wonder if we will ever be able to explain or find out why this force seems to be stronger that gravity overall, or how it relates to it and the other fundamental forces.

 

[destrekor]

It's pretty neat. I wonder if we will ever be able to explain or find out why this force seems to be stronger that gravity overall, or how it relates to it and the other fundamental forces.

When you really think about it, the amount of things we don't know is staggering and mind-numbering, when compared to the list of things we do know.

Or, perhaps the lists of remaining things to learn is actually fairly small, but those individual things represent massive final links that have to potential to help unveil numerous mysteries.

I'd argue it's likely we'll eventually make all of the remaining discoveries, or at least most. Some, might be beyond humanity unless anything like wormholes truly do exist. Without wormholes, I hesitate to say we may never be able to perfectly image the true, all-dimension "what you see is literally everything and anything to have ever been and that shall ever be" type of big-picture of the universe, like... the outer layer of the onion. Some potential truths of wormholes, if they in fact exist, may make it possible to learn some about that outer layer.
It's possible we could discover the science behind how to journey between universes (if we are in a multiverse), but I both doubt humanity will last that long, and who knows if that level of scientific discovery is even possible for humanity in our current state.


I think the more fundamental properties of the universe - gravity and what is the ultimate source of all atomic properties, at the root level; what are ALL of the constituents of the universe, to include all particles and sub-particles and dark-matter and dark-energy. FWIW, my hunch is that so-called dark-energy, the missing answer to why our universe "behaves" the way it does, regarding expansion/contraction: it could very well be the dark-matter equivalent to matter's Strong, Weak, Electromagnetic and Gravity fundamental forces/interactions.

Of course, the hunt for that and similar knowledge could take months or centuries. Sometimes it's luck, looking in the right place with the right equipment. Sometimes technology is developed specifically to hunt in the theoretically "right place," which requires much of the original theories to be correct.

 

[Ruptga]

It's all lies. That's not dark matter, those "filaments" are merely the many noodly appendages of our drunken creator.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It's all lies. That's not dark matter, those "filaments" are merely the many noodly appendages of our drunken creator.

Ramen.

 

[destrekor]

It's all lies. That's not dark matter, those "filaments" are merely the many noodly appendages of our drunken creator.

Ramen.

Well of course, it could be how His Noodly Self reaches out and touches all of the universe.

I like to think, if there's anything special, the dark matter is the special material that creates cosmic tunnels that both serve as quick passages for said Noodles to slip through, and also serve as a supporting matrix to hold everything up/together.
It could be how advanced species quickly move between galaxies.


Serious question for the astrophysics crowd:
is it at all possible the filaments, and in general the entire "cosmic web", ARE indeed actually tunnels? More specifically, wormholes. They needn't necessarily be hollow tubes as depicted in sci-fi.

 

[manimal]

It's all lies. That's not dark matter, those "filaments" are merely the many noodly appendages of our drunken creator.

Ramen.

clearly the pastafarians and the ziran ramen traditions differ in creation theory.




what if gravity is alive and dark matter is what happens to gravity when it consumes matter through worm holes. primordial spooge if you will...

 

[Triumph]

When you really think about it, the amount of things we don't know is staggering and mind-numbering, when compared to the list of things we do know.

Or, perhaps the lists of remaining things to learn is actually fairly small, but those individual things represent massive final links that have to potential to help unveil numerous mysteries.

I'd say we're already at the point where scientific knowledge about the fundamentals of the universe (specifically quantum mechanics) is so esoteric as to be incomprehensible by 90% of humans. Most of Newtonian physics, and even general and special relativity, can be comprehended if explained properly, by usage of allegories such as, "Gravity is like..." or "The speed of light is like..." Basically, Newtonian physics is all around us and easy to grasp. Attempting to explain quantum mechanics via comparisons, is wrong. The only way to really understand it, is to understand the math, and most people are simple incapable of ever doing so.

 

[Genx87]

Dark matter? Thats raycess!

On a more serious note. It looks like nerve cells. Maybe our universe is inside the brain of an organism.

 

[destrekor]

Dark matter? Thats raycess!

On a more serious note. It looks like nerve cells. Maybe our universe is inside the brain of an organism.

Gives some credence to the idea that our universe is a simulation, eh?
An incredibly complex neural network.

 

[bradly1101]

Dark matter? Thats raycess!

On a more serious note. It looks like nerve cells. Maybe our universe is inside the brain of an organism.

You just blew my mind!

 

[ElFenix]

Dark matter? Thats raycess!

On a more serious note. It looks like nerve cells. Maybe our universe is inside the brain of an organism.

maybe we're just shrunken surgeons trying to remove a blood clot

 

[Scotteq]

On a more serious note. It looks like nerve cells. Maybe our universe is inside the brain of an organism.

Where's that put us? earwax? armpit? clogged pore, maybe?

WE NEED ANSWERS, MAN!!!

 

[Pray To Jesus]

yay more fractals

 

[destrekor]

Where's that put us? earwax? armpit? clogged pore, maybe?

WE NEED ANSWERS, MAN!!!

Well, we're likely in the brain itself, since that massive neural network surrounds us.
And since we don't travel all over the brain, I'd say we're a tumor.

Their surgeons must be afraid of doing more damage removing us, so they're just watching to see if we spread.
They probably get a little worried with our exploration, but we haven't established colonies in any other parts of the brain just yet.

 

[Jeff7]

When you really think about it, the amount of things we don't know is staggering and mind-numbering, when compared to the list of things we do know.

Or, perhaps the lists of remaining things to learn is actually fairly small, but those individual things represent massive final links that have to potential to help unveil numerous mysteries.
...

Hopefully some day we'll be able to build a computeresque sort of thing that will be able to understand the Universe better. Or at least figure out how to build a better computer that can. 42 generations of them, perhaps?




While reading something on Wikipedia the other day, I came across something:

Four fundamental interactions are conventionally recognized: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear.

Earth, air, water, fire.



Dammit. Here we are again.



So in 2000 years, will our descendents, in whatever form they may take, have a full periodic table of fundamental forces?

 

[phucheneh]

It's baffling for us 'normies' to try and comprehend how the Stephen Hawkings of the world decide what is legit science and what is just some insane jibberjabber.

My understanding of science is on a basic, physical level. The normal, proven, widely understood, logical stuff.

But cosmic dark matter? String theory? They fall into a group that is shared with other great questions, like is my butt truly made up of tiny vibrating keebler elves who push the fudge out.

 

[manimal]

While reading something on Wikipedia the other day, I came across something:
Earth, air, water, fire.



Dammit. Here we are again.



So in 2000 years, will our descendents, in whatever form they may take, have a full periodic table of fundamental forces?

Well that sounds like the bagua to me and the chinese have had that for 2000 years already!

Wu wei!!!!

 

[Triumph]

It's baffling for us 'normies' to try and comprehend how the Stephen Hawkings of the world decide what is legit science and what is just some insane jibberjabber.

They decide by mathematics, mainly, and testing of hypotheses.

My understanding of science is on a basic, physical level. The normal, proven, widely understood, logical stuff.

But cosmic dark matter? String theory? They fall into a group that is shared with other great questions, like is my butt truly made up of tiny vibrating keebler elves who push the fudge out.

See my comments above. I'm not saying you're dumb, but you exemplify the way most people think about physics. Without understanding the math (which I don't understand either, despite having an engineering degree), you can't really internalize these concepts the way all of us have with simpler displays of physics, like the motion of planets and the arc of a baseball.