by Avi Loeb
First published 2022
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb examines one of cosmology's greatest mysteries: the invisible substance that makes up most of our universe. Dark matter reveals itself only through gravitational effects, bending light and shaping galaxies while remaining completely undetectable by conventional means. Loeb traces how scientists have spent a hundred years developing increasingly sophisticated theories and experiments to identify this elusive material. He explores the detective work of astronomers who first noticed galaxies spinning too fast, the underground laboratories searching for dark matter particles, and the space telescopes mapping its cosmic distribution. The book reveals how this invisible elephant shapes everything we see in the cosmos, from the formation of the first stars to the structure of galaxy clusters. Loeb offers readers a front-row seat to one of science's most ambitious quests.
Genres: science, non-fiction, astronomy, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-story, scientific-quest
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
376 pages · Hardcover