THE mysterious dark matter that holds galaxies together could be just another
facet of the equally bizarre dark energy that is pushing the Universe apart. So
says a team of physicists who’ve included several extra, invisible dimensions in
their model of the Universe.
Scientists have known for decades that galaxies must contain huge amounts of
invisible matter, because without the extra gravity it supplies, the stars would
fly apart into space. Then, three years ago, astronomers discovered signs that
the expansion of the Universe is speeding up. Some researchers think this may be
an illusion
(New Scientist, 15 December, p…
