Don't miss the darkest night of your life, as the scientists looking for dark matter share the seemingly impossible quest they are on to find the elusive - yet apparently common mystery substance.

 

As part of science week, seven remarkable scientists from around the country have come together for an entertaining and fascinating night discussing the mysteries of dark matter.

 

Grab a beverage and a snack and settle in for a dark night with this captivating lineup of physicists, featuring a mix of creative delights: comedy, demos, songs, and much more!

 

MC’ed by Dr Phil Dooley of Phil Up On Science

 

Ben McAllister (Swinburne Uni) is part of a team using quantum mechanics to look for dark matter in case it’s made of particles that are teeny tiny. Instead of eyes and ears they are developing the new ORGAN detector (love a physics acronym gag).

 

Zuzana Slavkovska (ANU) says looking for dark matter is like looking for invisible fish. Which, apparently, makes the whole task easier.

 

How do you develop theories to find something, when you have no idea what it is? Ciaran O’Hare (Sydney Uni) goes through some of the good theories, and some of the… other theories.

 

Imagine if we find Dark Matter! Apart from being a little excited, would it change our lives at all, asks Theresa Fruth (Sydney Uni).

 

Can you build a computer the size of a galaxy? Ellen Sirks (Sydney Uni) can - she fits whole clusters of galaxies into her computer.
 

When you say tiny particles, people think elements and the periodic table. We’ve come so much farther in the study of particles, says Phil Dooley (ANU | Phil Up On Science). So it’s time to update Tom Lehrer’s elements song with something more modern.

This event is free thanks to generous sponsorship by: