Summary

If dark matter only interacts through gravity—or through some yet-undiscovered force—with other matter it may be too weak to be detected by devices made from ordinary matter, according to Randall. So far, scientists have had to content themselves with only "tantalizing results" of their search for dark matter. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to this search—direct and indirect detection.

An example of the first method is the cryogenic detector—a super-cold device outfitted with sensitive crystals that respond to even the slightest amount of heat that causes a disruption in the device's superconductivity. Other direct detectors employ "noble liquids," or gasses that have a small range of temperature between their gaseous and liquid state including helium, neon, argon, kryptonite and xenon. Both cryogenic and noble liquid detectors are designed to detect and record...