Dark matter is an invisible type of matter theorised to make up the majority of all matter in the Universe. It has mass, but it can't be seen and doesn't interact with ordinary matter.

What is dark matter In Physics?

According to our standard model of cosmology, dark matter makes up 85 per cent of all the matter in the Universe, and 27 per cent of the Universe's total mass-energy.

How much dark matter is there(In Universe)?

Despite its name it can’t simply be made up of dead stars, gas and dust. Dark matter has to consist of something more exotic than standard atomic particles to ensure the Big Bang produces a universe chemically similar to the one we see.Such observational constraints have forced theorists to focus on a handful of candidates for dark matter.

What is dark matter made of?

How much of our Universe is dark matter, and what evidence is there for its existence?

What is dark matter? | BBC Science Focus Magazine

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Information could become the fifth state of matter alongside gas, plasma, liquid, and solid states.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A scientist has proposed an experiment involving particle annihilation that could establish that information truly has mass.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If successful, the experiment could shed light on the mysterious dark matter in our universe—and help us manage the future of data storage.</li></ul>

Key Findings

Scientists want to use an experiment to confirm that <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a36701159/charm-mesons-particle/">elementary particles</a> have measurable mass. It would involve a matter-<a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a34272429/how-much-matter-is-in-the-universe/">antimatter</a> annihilation process that would shoot a beam of positrons at electrons in a piece of metal. Positrons and electrons are both subatomic particles, with the same mass and magnitude of charge. However, <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a37224743/physicists-generate-antimatter-in-the-lab/">positrons</a> are positively charged, and electrons are negatively charged. A sheet of metal has many free electrons, increasing the probability of collision with the incoming positrons.

Information Being A Form Of Matter: The backstory

Scientists believe that the observable matter in the universe has specific information content. For example, typical atoms—containing protons, electrons, and neutrons—hold not only the combined masses of these subatomic particles, but also the minuscule masses of the information they require to interact with each other and the rest of the universe. This type of information could be considered the <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33327626/scientists-encoded-wizard-of-oz-in-dna/#:~:text=%22A%20teaspoon%20of%20DNA%20contains,internet%20in%20a%20shoe%20box.%22">“DNA”</a> of the particles.

A New Concept of Matter

The amount of information we have today is staggering. Each day on Earth, we generate 500 million tweets, 294 billion emails, 4 million gigabytes of Facebook data, 65 billion WhatsApp messages, and 720,000 hours of new content added daily on YouTube.The total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed in the world was 59 zettabytes in 2020.One zettabyte is 8,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits.Proving that information has mass through physical experiments is the first step toward finding a possible solution to the problem of explosive information growth.

Information Generated Every Day

Proving that information has mass can explain mysteries like dark matter. That’s because the physical properties of the bits of information mimic what dark matter appears to be—small bits of mass particles without charge or spin.Confirming that information is the fifth state of matter touches on a weird idea: that the universe is actually a computer simulation. As an academic exercise, scientists have <a href="https://watchdocumentaries.com/the-simulation-hypothesis/">suggested this idea before</a>. If information is indeed a key component of everything in the universe, then perhaps a computer somewhere is running our whole world as a simulation.

Beyond Our Earthly Problems: The Universe May Be A Simulation After All

If true, this idea could even help us understand all of the dark matter in our universe.

Stashed ideas

Information Could Be the 5th State of Matter, Proving We Live in a Simulation

It basically talks about the possible fundamental particle of mass, and the presence of other dimensions of space-time.

What is string theory?

<ul><li>The problem faced in newtonian physics(and by Newton himself) was that, although he could mathematically calculate gravitational pull, he was baffled by HOW this gravitational force was exerted through an inert medium like space on a celestial object so far apart.</li></ul>But it could be successfully, mathematically be applied to astonomy, except for the 'how'.

Newtonian physics

Now, coming to Einstein's era,he postulated that,<ul><li>space time has got 4 dimensions(including time), (like Newton did), but he also managed to explain the how, which Newton couldn't.</li></ul>According to Einstein, <ul><li>without any matter on the fabric of space time, it appears to be flat and linear</li><li> when matter is present, this space-time fabric warps and curves around that matter, alongwhich gravity attracts.(check pic)</li></ul>

Einstein's theory

<ul><li> Theodor Kaluza, theorized that electromagnetism(just like gravity) exerts its effects as warps and curves in a 5th dimension (including time).</li><li> Furthermore, using the assumption of the existence of a 5th dimension, he could also successfully mathematically derive out, not only einsteins equation, but also the equation for electromagnetism.</li></ul> That is it formed the basis of a unified theory, where every other physical theories could be derived from.

 Kaluza-Klein theory(KK theory) : Kaluza part

<ul><li>Oskar Klein, went a step ahead to postulate that there are relatively smaller dimensions which are curled up, located at a microscopic level of the larger dimensions. </li><li>just like how an electric cable from afar seems to be single dimension, but for small ants on the cable, there are much more dimensions(clockwise/anticlockwise) to that cable than a single dimension as perceived by the observor.</li></ul> <ul><li>That is according to Klein, ultramicroscopic enlargement of the visible dimensions could lead to the demonstration of, curled up microscopic dimensions.(check image)</li></ul>

  Kaluza-Klein theory(KK theory) : Klein part

Coming to the present era,<ul><li>Superstring theory - Talks about the smallest, indivisible entity which makes up space.</li><li>i.e. We know, matter is made of atoms, which is composed of a nucleus, a proton and an electron. We have even gone further and found that, these micro particles are made of packets of energy called quarks.</li></ul>

Superstring theory

<ul><li>According to string theory, quarks are actually constituted of dancing, filament like form of energy, which looks like a vibrating string. </li><li>And these can vibrate in different patterns(frequencies), leading to production of different types of particles based on the vibrating frequency. </li></ul>This is the ultramicroscopic landscape of the universe. The matter within matter.

<ul><li>Mathematically speaking, a very fascinating result was obtained, while applying and trying to incorporate Newtons, Einstein's equations.</li><li>The string theory equation holds true mathematically in a scenario involving 10 dimensions of space and 1 dimension of time(i.e. a 11 dimensional system), which has not yet being observed by man</li><li>The discovery and exploration of these extra dimensions could also hold the answer to why the 20(actually 26) <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.codata.org%2Fuploads%2Fimages%2FTable%25201-CODATA%2520Recommended%2520Values%2520of%2520Fundamental%2520Physical%2520Constants%25202014.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcodata.org%2Fcodata-recommended-values-of-the-fundamental-physical-constants-2014%2F&tbnid=vz1jX8rjxOjTaM&vet=1&docid=OX1uvsqAeHzkPM&w=2156&h=1446&itg=1&hl=en-IN&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim">fundamental constants</a> have such distinct values which are relevant to the decimal.</li></ul>

String theory's mathematical implication

<ul><li>The geometrical shape of the ultramicroscopic landscape, is called as Calabi Yau manifold, and is postulated to be one which folds in on itself.(see pic) </li><li>The shape of the landscape is thought to be what determines how the filaments of energy vibrate. </li></ul>

 Geometry of the ultramicroscopic landscape

<ul><li>Since, we have only observed the existence of 4 dimensions(including time), but have mathematically figured out the existence of 7 more dimensions, many experiments are being conducted to empirically observe them.</li><li>One such experiment, done in the large hadron collider, where, particles moving near the speed of light are allowed to collide head on, to see if any resulting debris (called as gravitan) enters into any of these unknown dimensions.(This is calculated by measuring the total energy before and after the collison, lesser energy after the collision implies energy has been lost somewhere).</li></ul>

Realisation of string theory

The essence of the fascinating string theory. 

Physicist Brian Greene explains superstring theory, the idea that minuscule strands of energy vibrating in 11 dimensions create every particle and force in the universe. View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/brian-greene-on-string-theory Talk by Brian Greene.

What is dark matter? | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Information Could Be the 5th State of Matter, Proving We Live in a Simulation

String theory - Brian Greene

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