Is dark matter responsible for life to exist?

[wegs]

I've been curious about dark matter lately, and in exploring the topic a bit more, it's pretty crazy to think that without dark matter, life simply wouldn't exist. Dark matter is so mysterious and it's undetectable, yet without it, life on Earth would probably not exist.

Does it come down to gravity, that dark matter provides? Sorry if this is a silly question, but is that its purpose?

 

[DaveC426913]

Things in the universe don't have a purpose.

Why would life not exist without DM?

 

[globali]

I've been curious about dark matter lately, and in exploring the topic a bit more, it's pretty crazy to think that without dark matter, life simply wouldn't exist. Dark matter is so mysterious and it's undetectable, yet without it, life on Earth would probably not exist.

Does it come down to gravity, that dark matter provides? Sorry if this is a silly question, but is that its purpose?

You cannot go from South America to Canada without passing from Central America. Is that the purpose of Central America??.....

 

[wegs]

I'm telling you all what I've been reading.

What is the purpose of dark energy? Do you agree that without it, we wouldn't be here?

 

[Seattle]

As was mentioned things don't have a purpose. You could probably argue that life wouldn't exist if anything was different so there's nothing special about dark matter in that regard.

Dark matter is no different that any other matter except that we can't (as of yet) detect it directly.

There just needs to be more matter in the Universe than is apparent to explain (for example) why the outer arms of galaxies rotate at the same speed as the center.

The mass must not be greater at the center so something else has to be providing it more evenly throughout the galaxy...dark matter.

 

[wegs]

As was mentioned things don't have a purpose. You could probably argue that life wouldn't exist if anything was different so there's nothing special about dark matter in that regard.

Dark matter is no different that any other matter except that we can't (as of yet) detect it directly.

There just needs to be more matter in the Universe than is apparent to explain (for example) why the outer arms of galaxies rotate at the same speed as the center.

The mass must not be greater at the center so something else has to be providing it more evenly throughout the galaxy...dark matter.

I guess why it confuses me is that something that goes undetected and is so ''mysterious'' to scientists (and us)...could be so important to our existence. You know?

 

[wegs]

You cannot go from South America to Canada without passing from Central America. Is that the purpose of Central America??.....

But we can visualize Central America. We can't visualize dark matter.

I'm trying to understand this, from that point of view.

 

[Seattle]

But we can visualize Central America. We can't visualize dark matter.

I'm trying to understand this, from that point of view.

I can't visualize an electron or love or any number of things.

 

[wegs]

I can't visualize an electron or love or any number of things.

Good point. See, this is why I post here. lol But, you can explain the value of love or the value of an electron. What is the ''value'' of dark matter?

I like your post above, it makes sense. I'd think though something that has been thought to speed up the expansion of the universe, would be considered vital.

 

[Seattle]

I guess why it confuses me is that something that goes undetected and is so ''mysterious'' to scientists (and us)...could be so important to our existence. You know?

I wouldn't focus on how important it is to our existence. There is nothing special, in that regard, about dark matter.

It's just matter. Do you feel that it's mysterious that matter is important to our existence? Of course, we are matter but the mysteries of how life comes about don't really relate to dark matter in any important way.

 

[wegs]

I wouldn't focus on how important it is to our existence. There is nothing special, in that regard, about dark matter.

It's just matter. Do you feel that it's mysterious that matter is important to our existence? Of course, we are matter but the mysteries of how life comes about don't really relate to dark matter in any important way.

It's mysterious to scientists. It can't be detected, yet it is an important property of space. That's just interesting to me.

 

[Seattle]

Good point. See, this is why I post here. lol But, you can explain the value of love or the value of an electron. What is the ''value'' of dark matter?

I like your post above, it makes sense. I'd think though something that has been thought to speed up the expansion of the universe, would be considered vital.

Dark matter doesn't speed up the expansion of the Universe. That's dark energy.
Again, changing the word "purpose" to "value" doesn't change anything.

If you can understand how matter interacts then you can understand how dark matter interacts.

 

[Seattle]

It's mysterious to scientists. It can't be detected, yet it is an important property of space. That's just interesting to me.

It's interesting to everyone who knows that it exists because we don't know exactly what it is but we do know that it acts just like any other matter.

 

[wegs]

Dark matter doesn't speed up the expansion of the Universe. That's dark energy.
Again, changing the word "purpose" to "value" doesn't change anything.

If you can understand how matter interacts then you can understand how dark matter interacts.

lol Okay.

But dark matter doesn't interact as other matter. I think scientists can only determine that it exists because of its gravitational effect on other (visible) matter.

I know enough, but not enough.

 

[wegs]

It's interesting to everyone who knows that it exists because we don't know exactly what it is but we do know that it acts just like any other matter.

I thought it doesn't, though? It doesn't absorb or emit light, so that would seem very different than other matter.

 

[globali]

lol Okay.

But dark matter doesn't interact as other matter. I think scientists can only determine that it exists because of its gravitational effect on other (visible) matter.

I know enough, but not enough.

yes dark matter causes measurable effects through interactions with matter. It is therefore real, and it is a part of the material world that science can study.

 

[Seattle]

lol Okay.

But dark matter doesn't interact as other matter. I think scientists can only determine that it exists because of its gravitational effect on other (visible) matter.

I know enough, but not enough.

It does interact as other matter. It just isn't visible, doesn't reflect light, is too small, we don't know.

 

[wegs]

yes dark matter causes measurable effects through interactions with matter. It is therefore real, and it is a part of the material world that science can study.

Gotcha, okay.

I guess my point is that I find it really interesting that something scientists can't detect, is part of the overall equation of making life possible. Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by this.

 

[Seattle]

I thought it doesn't, though? It doesn't absorb or emit light, so that would seem very different than other matter.

Do neutrons absorb or emit light?

 

[globali]

I guess my point is that I find it really interesting that something scientists can't detect, is part of the overall equation of making life possible. Maybe I'm the only one fascinated by this.

They can detect dark matter, but not directly due to technical reasons. This distinguishes dm from other unobservable stuff like spirituality, etc