Regina Barber

Just go to npr.org slash shortwave survey. We'll also put a link in our show notes. Thank you. Okay, on to our show. You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Physics has a bit of a messy problem. There's matter missing in our universe. Something's there that we can't see, but we can detect it. This mysterious substance behaves a lot like the matter we know.

You know, the matter that makes up you, me, the sun, the planets, and the stars. At least in the way that matter attracts other matter. Stars can orbit other stars, galaxies, collections of billions of stars can orbit other galaxies, And looking at those orbits or the way things move around other things in space can tell us how massive the object in the center is.

You know, the matter that makes up you, me, the sun, the planets, and the stars. At least in the way that matter attracts other matter. Stars can orbit other stars, galaxies, collections of billions of stars can orbit other galaxies, And looking at those orbits or the way things move around other things in space can tell us how massive the object in the center is.

You know, the matter that makes up you, me, the sun, the planets, and the stars. At least in the way that matter attracts other matter. Stars can orbit other stars, galaxies, collections of billions of stars can orbit other galaxies, And looking at those orbits or the way things move around other things in space can tell us how massive the object in the center is.

But sometimes we can't see what is really causing that movement.

But sometimes we can't see what is really causing that movement.

But sometimes we can't see what is really causing that movement.

That's Chanda Prescott-Weinstein. She's a theoretical particle physicist at the University of New Hampshire.

That's Chanda Prescott-Weinstein. She's a theoretical particle physicist at the University of New Hampshire.

That's Chanda Prescott-Weinstein. She's a theoretical particle physicist at the University of New Hampshire.

That's why it's often called dark matter. It makes up over a quarter of the entire universe. Scientists don't know what it is, but they do know whatever it is has to have a few key components.

That's why it's often called dark matter. It makes up over a quarter of the entire universe. Scientists don't know what it is, but they do know whatever it is has to have a few key components.

That's why it's often called dark matter. It makes up over a quarter of the entire universe. Scientists don't know what it is, but they do know whatever it is has to have a few key components.

So what could this mysterious substance be? A lot of astronomers are searching for the answer, and some, like Chanda, think a particle called the axion may help make the dark matter problem a little tidier.

So what could this mysterious substance be? A lot of astronomers are searching for the answer, and some, like Chanda, think a particle called the axion may help make the dark matter problem a little tidier.

So what could this mysterious substance be? A lot of astronomers are searching for the answer, and some, like Chanda, think a particle called the axion may help make the dark matter problem a little tidier.

An axion is smaller than an atom and hypothetical, meaning scientists have never seen one and don't know if they exist. Today on the show, what does it mean if axions exist? Could they be the solution to the mysterious dark matter problem? And how can scientists find one? I'm Regina Barber, and you're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

An axion is smaller than an atom and hypothetical, meaning scientists have never seen one and don't know if they exist. Today on the show, what does it mean if axions exist? Could they be the solution to the mysterious dark matter problem? And how can scientists find one? I'm Regina Barber, and you're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

An axion is smaller than an atom and hypothetical, meaning scientists have never seen one and don't know if they exist. Today on the show, what does it mean if axions exist? Could they be the solution to the mysterious dark matter problem? And how can scientists find one? I'm Regina Barber, and you're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

Okay, Chanda, tell me more about axions and your research. Like, what are they? What are you looking into? And what would you like to find out?