Mr. Anonymous
As to the rest, yes. So called Dark Matter is thought to something which accounts for the Galaxy as it stands. The simple fact of the matter is, no pun intended or actually made, that the amount of visible stars simply don't acount for what must actually be the a complete mass of the Galaxy.... Though quite how that helps you I have aboslutely no idea.
I have no idea myself, but as you stated, scientists do believe it's there. Now whether or not it can be used is the question.
As to this business of Trans-Galactic Travel, why the necessity? Our Galaxy alone is a truely enourmous place y'know, more than enough room to acomodate a very great many permanet tenants non of whom ever need to actually know of each others actual existance at all. The distances involved between the stars are simply that enourmous as they are....
This is true-I'm just questioning the vast regions of empty space. Now, I read this in a book a few years ago. So, this could be different now, but what I read in this book, which was mostly physics, black holes, etc., is that the reason why we are in 3 dimensional space is because if one adds more dimensions, this weakens gravity. So, if we added another dimension, I believe the figure was that gravity would be weakened by one-eighth. Add another, it would be weakened by a quarter and so on. So, my assumption of flattened out dimensions between galaxies is based on this information I read a few years ago. It may be the reason why nothing exists in between galaxies in the first place. Hyperspace theory conceeds that the universe was a perfect 10 dimensional universe, but it was unstable. I have to say that the hyperspace theory is wrong considering what I read a few years back, but the instability of extra dimensions may lend the reason why there are these huge spaces in between galaxies. No stability, no chance for stars or planets to exist.
Now, my initial thought a few years back was that the vast regions of empty space, since they are unstable, may be one of the reasons why galaxies form. A crack in space and time if you will, but I abondoned that idea. I still like the idea, but after reading up on galaxy formations, I disregarded it.
Again, pleasure Mr. A, and I don't think you would be a dead man if Ms. Hurley was there. You can say she's my woman!