Dark Matter
The force of gravity is something we can all relate to – it’s what keeps us from floating off our chairs and into space. And most of us know that we would weigh less on the moon since it is smaller than the earth and has less gravity. Many also understand that it is the force of gravity that keeps planets and moons in stable orbits. For those who might not understand how this works, think of the moon and the earth. The earth has a strong gravitational pull on the moon, basically trying to crash the moon into the earth. So why doesn’t the moon crash into the earth? The moon is circling the earth at a very high rate of speed (1.03 km per second), and this speed is the perfect speed needed to keep the moon from getting closer to the earth (picture a ball on the end of a string – if you hold the end of the string and spin the ball fast enough above your head, the string gets tight and the ball “orbits” your hand. Slow down and the string starts to sag and the ball will crash into you. Spin it too fast and you won’t be able to hang on and the ball will fly away from you, maybe crashing into a window.)
The earth and all the other planets in our solar system also orbit the sun in the same way. Solar systems are often grouped together and they will also be in orbit around each other.
To help understand how the universe was formed, scientists studied galaxies and noticed something peculiar. Some galaxies were in orbits that appeared to be moving way too fast for the amount of matter that they could detect. Basically, there wasn’t enough mass to create the amount of gravity needed to keep the system from flying apart. Yet, there they were – these super fast spinning galaxies.
So, to make a long story short, scientists came up with the term “dark matter” to explain there must be something else that is making the gravity stronger. This special something must have similar gravitational properties like normal matter, but we can’t detect it using normal methods (like reflecting light or emitting radiation). Some scientists estimate that dark matter makes up 80% of all matter in the universe. Of course, the concept of dark matter is strictly theoretical – we can’t prove it exists since we can’t detect it. But since these fast spinning galaxies exist, there must be something that holds them together. Something that doesn’t conform to the laws of physics. Something we can’t detect with any scientific instrument yet created. Something is holding this universe together – or should I say Someone is holding this universe together?
Dark Energy
Another unexpected discovery made relatively recently is that the universe is still expanding, and is expanding at a faster rate than before. This is counter intuitive. Basic physics tells us that once an object has been set in motion and has achieved a stable velocity, it can’t speed up unless it receives more energy. If anything, objects should tend to slow down due to the gravitational pull of other objects. Some models of the universe suggest the expansion of the universe was actually slowing down about 5 billion years ago. Yet, the universe appears to be still expanding and expanding faster than previously thought. So, once again science proposes another special something that doesn’t conform to normal physics and is responsible for the additional energy that would fuel our expanding universe. They call this special something “dark energy” because, like dark matter, we can’t detect it or prove it exists. Another special Something that our universe needs to survive.
Conclusion
My explanations of the Trigger, Inflation, Dark Matter, and Dark Energy are very basic and anyone with a degree in physics could likely point out several things wrong with my posts. And I want to be clear that I’m not trying to point out any weaknesses or failures on behalf of scientists who are trying to explain our universe. But I think there are some key things we can learn from the science of the Big Bang.
- Many people, Christians and scientists alike, underestimate the significance of the basic premise of the Big Bang Theory – it confirms the first three words of the Bible “In the beginning”. Prior to the Big Bang Theory, most scientists (including Einstein) understood the universe to be static (never changing). This was in stark contrast to the Biblical creation story which clearly stated the universe had a beginning and was created by God out of nothing. As the Big Bang Theory was first introduced, many people in the scientific community were against it because of the “religious implications”. Ironically, many people in the church community felt the Big Bang Theory was a threat to them because it provided an explanation of the origin of the universe without the need for a God. But think about this for few moments. If the Bible was just an ancient book written by men, how and why would they come up with the idea that the entire universe was created all at once out of nothing? All evidence at that time (and up until about 50 years ago) pointed to a universe that was never changing, always there. How could the Bible be right, if it was written by mere mortal men? Was it just a lucky guess or coincidence that they got this right?
- The laws of physics are not completely universal. Science is suggesting that there must be some things (dark matter, dark energy) that do not follow the laws of physics, yet these things have a profound and sustaining impact on the entire universe. Without these mysterious things, the universe could not exist. If scientists can now accept there must be something that transcends our known universe, perhaps it is now a shorter leap of faith to accept that the God spoken of in the Bible is the One responsible for the effects attributed to Dark Matter and Dark Energy. I don’t know about you, but whenever I think about this, a song pops into my head (“He’s got the whole world, in His hands…”).
As always, I welcome your comments and questions.
Jac
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