Aussie student finds universe's 'missing mass'

[johnmiic]

A 22-year-old Australian university student has discovered part of the so-called "missing mass" of the universe.

Aussie student finds universe - Yahoo! News


Here's a more detailed account:


Universe's not-so-missing mass

[Adam West]

And....it is kind of a strange article to me. It doesn't really say anything. Adding the word politician and astro physicist at the end of the aricle doesn't sit well with for obvious reasons.

[Brazoo]

The first article is confusing. I think science journalism is in a really sad state in the mainstream news.

The second article seems much better - and they don't muddy it with that out of place point about why academic research for it's on sake is important you mentioned. It's kinda like how every mainstream media outlet article on comics has an obligatory paragraph about how "comics aren't just for kids anymore". It's like the journalists are always worried the reader is sitting there thinking "Who cares?".

From what I got:

This research team theorized a way to locate some of the missing matter in the universe using x-rays and this the first time they've gotten results that show this method works. The human angle to the story is that it was a young undergrad who was the first one to collect data using this method. Which is cool - but it's not like she devised the theory or method or even understood the data she collected.

As for the discovery I don't think this eliminates the problems that lead to the theory of dark matter or anything. This is a cool discovery - but I don't think it's changed cosmology to that degree.

Unless I'm wrong - which is entirely possible.

[megocrazy]

They've found the missing mass!!! Take down the roadblocks and call off the troops. We can all sleep better tonight. If they had put a picture of it on the side of a milk carton we would have found it long ago. I didn't even know it was missing. Why don't people ever fill me in on these things? I'm always the last to know. What if I knew where the mass was? Maybe I had it sitting in a closet and could have solved this issue years ago. But no!! Nobody asks me! Like he'd know where the mass is...don't even tell him it's missing...he doesn't have a clue...ignore him. I hope the damn mass gets lost again...for good this time. OK stop reading I'm done ranting.











I said stop, now you won't listen to me either, STOP READING!!!

[B-Lister]

I guess some people really DO know their Mass from a hole in the ground.......

[Duncan]

The first article is confusing. I think science journalism is in a really sad state in the mainstream news.

Agreed. I wound up reading several different versions of this article before I found one I liked. I was getting annoyed because it seemed that various writers wanted to give the intern more credit than she deserved. Her contribution stands on its own merit, without needing any embellishment.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

What can I say? Us Aussies are brilliant.

[johnmiic]

Yeah, when I read the first article I thought it was weak. It did say the missing mass had travelled to the filaments of the galaxies. The second article was included for better understanding.

I think Aussies are sexy/smart. Im friends with some Aussies on FB. Nice people!

Chuck, whatsamatter man? Why so angry? Is everything ok? The meet is in 2 weeks.

[Brazoo]

That was another thing, in the first article they said the mass moved to the "filaments of galaxies" - which really confused me because it didn't explain where "filaments" were in galaxies. Then in the second article they called the mass structures themselves filaments, which made sense to me. Maybe it's just me.