If dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universe, isn't it plausible that they have causal influences on our brains and consciousness?
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Dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up most of the universe, but scientists currently have very little understanding of their properties. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that they have any direct causal influences on
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Gavin Rowland ·
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Pioneering a theory of dark energy and consciousness8y
RelatedCould dark matter and/or dark energy play an important role in the phenomenon of consciousness?
On the question of dark matter I am inclined to agree with Frank Heile. Regarding dark energy, I have to disagree. The density of dark energy has nothing to do with its ability to interact with matter. We know very little about dark energy, but there is room for it to interact with matter via quantum mechanics. This would need to be through transmission of patterns, or information. Much work has been done on this area, termed 'quantum consciousness'.
Dark energy brings a number of useful features to the problem of consciousness. Important figures in the field such as David Chalmers are openly … (more)
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Viktor T. Toth ·
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IT pro, part-time physicistUpvoted by
Stephen Selipsky, ex-theorist (particle & astro/cosmo); Stanford Ph.D., research at CERN, BU, Yale6y
RelatedHow do we know that 5% of the universe is normal matter, 25% is dark matter and 70% is dark energy?
Good question. The answer has to do with the so-called equation of state.
Cosmologists characterize stuff with the equation of state: w=p/ρ�=�/�, where p� is the pressure, ρ� is the energy density. Since pressure and energy density are measured in the same units (force divided by area, which is pressure, is the same as energy divided by volume), their ratio is just a plain number, independent of the system of units used.
As the cosmos expands, stuff with different values of w� behave differently.
First, there is so-called dust, characterized by w=0�=0. Dust only interacts with itself and other forms… (more)
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Kendra Morgan ·
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Tune into the Judgment Call Podcast for Tech & Philosophy.Aug 1
RelatedWhat is the amount of dark matter and dark energy that the universe contains?
The universe is vast and mysterious, and we can only guess the exact amount of dark matter and dark energy that it contains.
However, we do know that the majority of the universe's mass-energy density is comprised of dark energy, and this may be constant throughout.
We also know that dark matter makes up around 85% of the total mass-energy of the universe, though its exact distribution and properties remain unknown.
As we learn more about this enigmatic force, we may be able to make a more accurate estimation of the amount of dark matter and dark energy that the universe holds.
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How likely is it that, since dark matter and dark energy are basically unknowns, we might be wrong at the very basics? If we can't observe what most of the universe is made of, could it be that our theories are simply wrong?
Can dark matter have consciousness?
Could dark matter and/or dark energy play an important role in the phenomenon of consciousness?
Jennifer Collins ·
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Get 90% smarter by listening to The JudgmentCall Podcast.Apr 24
RelatedHow does dark matter affect the universe?
Dark matter is an invisible form of matter that cannot be seen with ordinary telescopes.
It makes up an estimated 25% of the universe, and exists in vast, invisible clouds that permeate the universe.
It has been proposed as an explanation for the unusual behavior of galaxies and other large-scale cosmic structures.Dark matter affects the universe in a number of ways.
It helps hold galaxies together by providing an invisible gravitational field that keeps them from being torn apart by their own centrifugal forces.
It also has a role in the formation of stars, galaxies, and other structures within t… (more)
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Aswin Vijayan ·
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MSc in Astronomy, Leiden University (Graduated 2017)Updated 5y
RelatedHow were dark matter and dark energy discovered?
Nobody has discovered dark matter and dark energy, but there are plenty of evidences for their existence (there has been a few papers claiming observation of a dark matter annihilation signal). Currently the scientific community do not know if their presence is due to a particle or due to new physics that arise at these scales. So I present some of the observational evidences that lead to the acceptance of the current model of the Universe with dark matter and dark energy.
Dark Matter:The primary evidence for dark matter came from the observations of the Coma cluster by Fritz Zwicky in the 1930… (more)
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Rome Viharo ·
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Founder (2021–present)4y
RelatedCan dark matter have consciousness?
I’m not a physicist, so likely my answer SHOULD NOT hold much weight at all. As a layman non-scientist, however - I keep up as best I can with the latest in cosmology and consciousness, more as nerd hobby.
So, to answer your question “Is Dark Matter consciousness?” is really vague to address from a scientific perspective.We don’t know what dark matter, or dark energy is. Zip. We just know that it makes the majority of our known universe, and without this none of our models and physics work like we predict they should.
Consciousness itself is probably the least understood and most difficult pheno… (more)
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Kendra Morgan ·
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Tune into the Judgment Call Podcast for Tech & Philosophy.May 7
RelatedDoes dark matter or dark energy even exist?
The answer to this question is both yes and no.
We have strong evidence that dark matter and dark energy do exist, but that evidence comes from indirect measurements.
In other words, we can measure the effects of these substances on galaxies and other sources of light, but we have yet to directly observe either dark matter or dark energy.
We believe dark matter and dark energy exist because of their gravitational effect on the visible matter in our universe, which suggests that these two substances together make up about 95% of the universe.
Moreover, we know that dark matter and dark energy are v… (more)
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Joao ·
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PhD in Astrophysics, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) (Graduated 2006)6y
RelatedHow do we know that 5% of the universe is normal matter, 25% is dark matter and 70% is dark energy?
Actually the matter-energy balance is given by the following chart:
The simple answer is: when astronomers measure the relation between distance and velocity indicated by distant supernovae they find a bunch of points and a diagram like this:
Never mind the details and please concentrate only on the upper plot. See all those points? They need to be fitted by a function so that the relationship between z (velocity) and m-M (distance) can be properly understood!
See the blue, green and black lines in the upper plot all fitting the data? These are multiple models with different parameters.
The author… (more)
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Jonathan Devor ·
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PhD in Astronomy, Harvard University (Graduated 2008)Upvoted by
Science Communicator, Science Communicator and Astrophysicist and
Altuğ Mert Mısırlıoğlu, studied Physics at Bilkent University (2020)Updated 3y
RelatedDoes dark matter cause gravity?
The two previous answers here so far… how should I put this diplomatically… are unorthodox.
This is the generally accepted model of dark matter: We don’t know what it’s made of. We know it’s not made of atoms or anything similar to that (i.e. baryonic matter), and we know that it has very little or no interaction with bayonic matter. That is, with one exception - it has mass and therefore it exerts a gravitational force just like any other massive object. So in theory you could orbit around a clump of dark matter, but you wouldn’t be able to see or feel it.
And just to be clear. You don’t need d… (more)
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Kendra Morgan ·
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Tune into the Judgment Call Podcast for Tech & Philosophy.Jul 9
RelatedCould dark matter and/or dark energy play an important role in the phenomenon of consciousness?
I believe that consciousness is more than just a phenomenon caused by physical matter, and is instead a non-physical phenomenon.
In fact, after much research, I can confidently say that consciousness is beyond physical matter, and dark matter and dark energy can not explain it accurately.
It's a much more complex phenomenon than what we are capable of understanding with current scientific models.
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Kirsten Hacker ·
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PhD in Accelerator Physics, University of Hamburg (Graduated 2010)5y
RelatedWhat is the difference between dark energy and dark matter?
Dark energy is the positive deviation from what general relativity predicts for masses which are not moving.
Dark matter is the negative deviation from what general relativity predicts for masses which are not moving.
When masses are moving relative to one another, general relativity delivers erroneous predictions of matter that doesn’t actually exist. The appearance of dark matter and dark energy in the systems we study in the sky is the result of the movement of masses relative to each other.
Dark energy is the apparent result when masses are moving in the same direction relative to each other.… (more)
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Krister Sundelin ·
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E-learning Producer (2020–present)Upvoted by
Dr. Alexander Peach, PhD Theoretical Physics (2017), Durham University, UK. and
Steve N., MS Physics & Cosmology, Syracuse University (2000)Jan 19
RelatedWhat is dark matter in a very simple term? Why do scientists know it can exist? Why and how is it important for the universe? If dark matter doesn't exist, what would universes really be like?
Hello, Seeker of Science !
Q: What is dark matter in a very simple term?
A: Dark matter is a placeholder term for the observed phenomenon that there seems to be about 5 times more invisible matter than visible matter. It is called “dark matter” because it interacts through gravity like matter, and it only interacts through gravity, meaning that we can’t see it.
Q: Why do scientists know it can exist?
A: Have you heard this old joke?
–How do you know there was an invisible elephant in the fridge?
–There are footprints in the butter.
And that is basically what dark matter and dark energy is: we have o… (more)
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Supayan Chakma Gautam ·
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Studied PhysicsUpvoted by
Mack / Mac, PHD Physics & Mathematics, Max Plank Institute (1987) and
Chamindra Perera, Bsc Physics & Mathematics, Open University of Sri Lanka (2018)3y
RelatedWhat is dark energy and dark matter? If it can be explained in simple language yet in detail?
27% of the universe is made up of a mysterious substance dark matter and 68% of invisible form of energy dark energy (the rest only 5% is visible ordinary matter).
These two things do not interact with electromagnetic waves and light. So these are completely hidden and invisible. However, they have a strong gravitational effect on objects in space, which is why their presence in space is predictable.Dark matter attracts other objects toward it by exerting gravitational force. The amount of dark matter in each galaxy is enough to hold all the objects in the galaxy. It is responsible for the stru… (more)
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Rachel Ryan ·
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Aug 26
RelatedIs dark matter antimatter?
Ah, the eternal cosmic conundrum, right?
Antimatter and dark matter might sound like they share the same mysterious nightclub, but trust me, they're not sipping the same cosmic cocktail.
Let me break it down without the cosmic jargon.
Antimatter is like the rebellious cousin of regular matter.
It's made up of particles that have the same mass as their counterparts but with opposite charges.
So, if we could gather enough antimatter, we'd have a galactic fireworks show with regular matter, releasing energy that could power your spaceship to the farthest reaches of the universe.
Just don't forget your … (more)
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Daniel Hodous ·
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Independent Physicist, Amateur Cosmologist, Free Thinker6y
RelatedAre dark matter and dark energy: energy?
I have several theories about Dark Matter and Energy but (in layman's terms) Light is both a particle and a wave... Dark Matter and Dark Energy maybe shouldn't be looked at as separate things. Maybe the Dark is the Yang to the Ying of Light and the Dark is both a particle and a wave and is increasing in expansion because "The Dark" is the natural process of the decay of the universe. As everything Decays the Light fades and the Dark increases. This Dark Matter/Energy is nothing more than what I call the Entropy Particle (haven't found it yet but mathematically its a sound argument). My theory … (more)
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Frank Heile ·
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Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University10y
RelatedCould dark matter and/or dark energy play an important role in the phenomenon of consciousness?
No. dark matter and dark energy cannot play any role in consciousness. We know quite a bit about dark matter - for example, we know that it interact very rarely with ordinary matter. We know that it is uncharged and that it does not interact with light. However, we do not know the mass of the dark matter particle (or particles - there could be more than one kind of dark matter particle). For more about what we do and don't know about dark matter see my answer to: "What do we know about dark matter?".
Dark energy has even less interaction with ordinary matter. In fact there is no evidence that … (more)
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Vivek Keshore ·
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8y
RelatedWhat is dark energy?
Originally Answered: What is black energy?
The answer is "We still don't know/understand it"
Universe comprises of about 70% dark energy, 25% dark matter and 5% visible matter. All galaxies, stars, planets, moons, asteroids, black holes etc are in that 5%.
As we know that the universe is expanding continously, and its rate of expansion is also increasing significantly. Then the question is from where the universe is getting that energy to expand, and energy to increase the rate of expansion. The answer is mysterious dark energy.
It was calculated that in our universe the density of dark energy is around 6.91 × 10−27 kg/m3, which is a ver… (more)
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Shayne O'Neill ·
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Former head of r&d at vTel MobileUpvoted by
Jan Cernohorsky, PhD Theoretical Physics & Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam (1990) and
Science Communicator, Science Communicator and Astrophysicist4y
RelatedAre dark matter and dark energy excuses for not being able to explain how the universe works?
Not excuses. It's not even an attempt to explain it. It's a statement of what the actual problem is. Let's consider the two separately, because they are seperate.
Dark matter is a reference to the something that's providing extra gravitational mass that's keeping galaxies spinning at the rate they do (and a few other similar problems). We know there has to be vastly more mass than we can see otherwise things would behave differently. So "Dark matter" is sciences name for the problem in physics that "we don't know where all this extra matter is, or even what it is".
Dark energy is a reference to … (more)
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Viktor T. Toth ·
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IT pro, part-time physicist6y
RelatedAre dark matter and dark energy: energy?
Well, for starters, mass and energy, as we know since 1905, are really just two different names for the same thing.
But dark matter and dark energy (however awkward these two terms are) have specific properties and play specific roles in physical cosmology.
Cosmologists like to categorize all the “stuff” that fills the universe in a very simple manner, by the so-called equation of state. Which really is just the ratio of the pressure and energy density of that stuff. Now it so happens that pressure (which is force, divided by area) and energy density (which is energy divided by volume; but energ… (more)
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Jerzy Michał Pawlak ·
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PhD in High Energy Physics (experimental)8y
RelatedCould dark matter be regular matter, just in other dimensions?
The theories you have read about, that postulate 11 dimensions, also postulate that those 7 extra dimensions are curled up very tightly so, that looking at any object with resolution accessible to us at present, you completely don't see them. Like a surface of a cylinder is two dimensional, but if you make the cylinder very thin and long, it will start to look to you like an one-dimensional line. Therefore the extra dimensions proposed by string theories can't "hide" any mass from you, because you always see them completely, with everything inside them.
Now, it is not a priori excluded, that t… (more)
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Abhijith Nv ·
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Marine Engineer Officer Class IV at Wilhelmsen Ship Management (2017–present)6y
RelatedWhat is dark matter? And dark energy?
Dark matter and dark energy are something that we are not pretty sure about what they actually are. We know that they are present out there but we cannot detect them or see them because they do not interact with light or any baryonic matter (normal matter).
The baryonic matter account for only 5% of the entire universe. 25% is dark matter and 70% is dark energy (these numbers are not precise).
Dark Matter:
We came to know about the existence of dark matter because of its influence on gravity.
The galaxies in our universe are spinning so fast that normal matter we see around us does not have enough… (more)
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Leo C. Stein ·
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Ph.D. from MIT, B.S. from Caltech. Specializing in gravity.Upvoted by
Jay Wacker, physicist: PhD + postdoc + faculty and
Eric Gentry, PhD Student in Astrophysics13y
RelatedWhat is dark matter?
Dark matter is the name given to additional mass whose presence is inferred only from gravitational attraction but which does not interact with light. It accounts for roughly 25% of the energy density of the universe. Dark matter is presumed to be a massive (~100 GeV scale) particle which is basically non-interacting except through gravity. There are several ongoing efforts to directly or indirectly detect the presumed dark matter particle.
Reasons we believe in dark matter:
Galactic rotation curves: spiral galaxies's angular rotation as a function of radius allows one to measure the mass inter… (more)
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A Arun Prasath ·
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passionately curious, plagued with boredomUpdated 4y
RelatedAre there any theories as to what dark matter and dark energy are?
Dark matter and Dark energy are both hypothetical entities that are required to explain a few known cosmological phenomena, but they do not have a known solid physical basis yet. There are definitely few theories that attempt to explain them, but none very good so far. There are several observational pieces of evidence that point to the existence of dark matter (For more details see Jay Wacker's answer to What is dark matter?). I have tried to explain the motivation for dark matter and dark energy below, with some attempts to explain them.
DARK MATTER
MOTIVATION - It is a well known phenomenon t… (more)
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Manik Uppal ·
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B.A. in Physics & Mathematics, Columbia University (Graduated 2014)Upvoted by
Erik Nelson, M.S. Physics & Computational Cosmology, University of California, San Diego (2005)9y
RelatedHow can dark matter / energy be detected?
I'm going to shamelessly copy and paste part of an article I wrote for a pop-science publication at my school:
If dark matter isn’t just a red herring, then it must consist of something. Physicists have ruled out all usual suspects, ie. all the particles that constitute the Standard Model of particle physics. It can’t consist of normal atoms, since normal atoms interact with light and dark matter patently does not, nor can it consist of neutrinos or any force-mediating particle. Thus, dark matter must constitute a new class of particle heretofore undiscovered. And given that normal matter consi… (more)
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Leo C. Stein ·
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Ph.D. from MIT, B.S. from Caltech. Specializing in gravity.Upvoted by
Jay Wacker, physicist: PhD + postdoc + faculty and
Dimosthenis E. Gkotsis, BSc Physics, University of Aberdeen (2013)Updated 12y
RelatedWhat is dark energy? Why does it matter?
Originally Answered: What is dark energy?
Dark energy is the name given to a class of possibilities to explain the late time acceleration of the expansion of the universe. It accounts for roughly 70% of the energy density of the universe. There are several dark energy models. The simplest is a "cosmological constant", but other options are vacuum energy, quintessence, and more. Most of these models predict that dark energy does not vary spatially, and so it is difficult to distinguish the models.
The expansion of the universe is governed by the Friedman equation(s), which quantify the rate of change of expansion as determined by the en… (more)
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Prakyat Prasad ·
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Analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland9y
RelatedCould dark matter really be the "other dimensions" theorized by physicists?
Firstly, extra dimensions are not parallel and most certainly do not exist in a parallel universe. So calling extra dimensions "parallel" isn't the best approach. Anything that exists in the extra dimensions will still be considered a part of our universe.
Second, other universes cannot interact with our universe, except in the case of Brane theory or some exceptional events like some Big Bang models. There are some theories out there that predict extra dimensions, most notably String Theory. These extra dimensions exist entirely within our universe and are folded up microscopically. Similar t… (more)
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Stephen Perrenod ·
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Ph.D. astronomy/astrophysics; blog darkmatterdarkenergy.com6y
Completely implausible. Jupiter in your Sun sign would have more influence (and it doesn’t have any).
The density of dark energy is the equivalent of 4 protons per cubic meter.
And while dark matter is somewhat concentrated in our galaxy, it is less than the equivalent of 1 proton per cc.
Dark Matter in the Solar System: Does it Matter?
Jim Roberts ·
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Working to become an expert6y
Its actually implausible dark matter only indirectly interact with neutrinos and directly interact with gravity over extremely large scale. As far as scientists know dark matter don’t interact with normal matter at all. So your brain and everyone else's is safe.
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Shaun Vesey ·
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Sales rep at Energy Sales6y
Dark energy and dark matter is something that we cant see but only observe the effects of its gravity ,i think it makes up 75% of the universe,i beleive it is the gravitational waves from another universe ,or many.
David A. Smith ·
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6y
Let’s scale Dark Energy right away. I think it is currently at about 75% of the Universe’s contents. Dark Energy has no effect within bound systems. So it is “weaker than gravity” at the scale of the Virgo supercluster (to which the Milky Way belongs). Since gravity has a very minor influence on mood, and brain function (via the Moon and Sun), let’s say that the effect of Dark Energy is about as powerful as a mouse fart on the Moon.
As for Dark Matter, there is no Dark Matter in our solar system, since we can clearly see and account for all the matter here. So Dark Matter is only as effective a… (more)
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Wayne Francis ·
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Interested in literally the biggest questions about the cosmos6y
No.
First off Dark Matter doesn’t make up 95% of the universe. It makes up about 27% of the universe and the stuff you and I are made up of makes up about 5%.
Now because of the properties of Dark Matter there doesn’t seem that there is any way for it to influence our brains or consciousness.
Just like nitrogen makes up 78% of atmosphere yet has no affect on our physiology. We don’t interact with it in our respiration cycle.
So the answer to this is “No” until such time as there is actual evidence that it does. The amount of it doesn’t matter it could make up .1% or 99.9999%. If there is no known … (more)
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Dan Sharpe ·
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Software Engineer and Author6y
Absolutely, Yes
Cosmic energy goes back as much as the 17th century BC in the written record, but who knows how far back that mankind has recognized this primal and essential energy of the universe for health, vitality and longevity.
Cosmic energy is the Hindu translation of “Shakti” which means “Empowerment” or “Power” and represents the dynamic forces thought to move through the entire universe.
Other cultural terms include Hindu Prana, Apana and Yyana, Chinese Chi (Qi), Vietnamese Khi, Korean Gi, Japanese Ki, subtle energy and woo energy, Hebrew koach-ha-guf, Greek Bios, English Aether, Americ… (more)
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James Swingland ·
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Data Scientist6y
If dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universe, isn't it plausible that they have causal influences on our brains and consciousness?
Not really.
Dark matter only interacts gravitationally - which wouldn't affect us like that, even if there was dark matter nearby (there isn't much in our solar system).
Dark energy similarly doesn't act in a way that could affect us - and is only important on a scale of millions/billions of light years.
Every second billions of neutrinos pass through your fingers, and they don't affect you…
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Sash.M ·
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Been looking through telescopes since age 76y
What most people don't realize is when scientists say dark matter and dark energy it simply means they don't know what it is. It could be some physical stuff that we can't see/detect, or it could be something we don't understand about how the universe works.
Since we don't know what dark matter/energy is we can't assume it has some effect on our brains and such.
Furthermore, if it did have some effect on our brains and consciousness then we would be able to detect/measure it.
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Related questions
How likely is it that, since dark matter and dark energy are basically unknowns, we might be wrong at the very basics? If we can't observe what most of the universe is made of, could it be that our theories are simply wrong?
Can dark matter have consciousness?
Could dark matter and/or dark energy play an important role in the phenomenon of consciousness?
How can the universe keep on expanding if it's infinite? Expanding metal, like a cube of aluminium, has a surface area which forms a border for the matter contained inside. So the universe must have a border for the matter it contains.
Does dark matter (or dark energy) cause gravity?
What is dark energy? Why does it matter?
Is dark matter and dark energy linked together?
Can consciousness be dark matter or dark energy?
How were dark matter and dark energy discovered?
Do black holes destroy dark matter?
What is dark energy and dark matter? If it can be explained in simple language yet in detail?
What is exactly dark matter and dark energy?
If we have no pieces of evidence of the dark energy and dark matter, then on what basis we can say that they are 27% and 68% respectively of the total universe? How are we so sure about their participation in the whole universe?
What is the difference between dark energy and dark matter?
Is dark matter actually matter?
