this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2026
1415 points (98.6% liked)
Science Memes
18233 readers
2329 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
How would you go about proving the existence of regular matter?
I think therefor I am, I guess.
How do you know you're made of matter?
Matter describes what exists.
So, dark matter is matter?
Dark matter has never been proven to exist.
The only matter you've proven to exist is your own consciousness, so that's not saying much.
Since you've defined matter to be everything that exists, you must believe that whatever is the explanation for dark matter is matter, since it exists.
There are no observations of dark matter and few to none theories on how and why it exists. The only indication that it might exist is that our math doesn't accurately predict or simulate how celestial bodies are moving, there are other theoretical explanations such as a better understanding of gravity or a larger celestial mechanism just outside of the observable universe supplying an external force.
If you stipulate we must accept Dark Matter as the one true answer then you must also accept any hypothesis regardless of evidence, which is stupid.
TLDR: You're stupid.
According to what you said, gravity is matter, since gravity exists.
The effects of gravity have been observed, the cause itself has not. Prevailing hypothesis is gravitational waves which are being experimented to prove as we speak.
Saying that gravitational waves (which were observed in 2015) are the "cause" of gravity is like saying light is the "cause" of electromagnetism.
Your characterisation of dark matter as "not having been observed" is one of degree and one of terminology. There is evidence that something causes stronger gravitational lensing than can be accounted for by otherwise-observed matter, but this gravitational lensing (alongside other things) is an observation. How then has this phenomenon "not been observed"?
Oh shit, they did detect them, and dude got a nobel prize for it. How did I miss that, lmao.