International Dark Matter Day is a time to reflect on what we do and do not understand about the cosmos, to engage in conversations about knowledge and science, and to communicate the excitement that the unknown offers to humankind. Dark matter is a non-luminous form of matter that shapes the universe, from the sizes of galaxies to the webbing spanning the visible universe whose tendrils are littered with those same galaxies. Dark matter definitely interacts gravitationally, and seems to have otherwise very little interaction with itself or "normal matter" - the stuff that makes up you and me. We have no idea what composes dark matter, despite the fact that it appears to comprise 85% of the matter in the universe and seems to have existed since almost the beginning of time.
I was so pleased tonight to join with colleagues at Science North in Sudbury to share with the general public two screenings of "The Phantom of the Universe" and engage in discussions of the film and its ideas, questions, and themes. I met a lot of local folks, including members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Sudbury Centre. It was a wonderful evening, and it was hard to tear myself away from such a highly engaged audience. I look forward to more chances to share the work done at Queen's University and SNOLAB at future events for the public!