Kerstin Perez

Post-doc, Columbia University

Why Dark Matter Matters: The Invisible Universe

Lurking in every corner of the universe is mysterious form of matter, invisible to the standard instruments of astronomy. Not only does this "dark matter" permeate the Universe, it is five times more plentiful than the typical matter that forms stars, planets, dust, gas, and everything we see on Earth, embodying entirely new laws of physics. In this talk, I will explain how we know that there exists matter we cannot see, and the innovative ways modern scientists are trying to identify what it could be.