June 24, 2007: Dark Matter and Hubble - Richard Massey

Art Bell welcomes astronomer Richard Massey, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology, to discuss his groundbreaking work mapping dark matter using the Hubble Space Telescope. Massey explains that dark matter constitutes roughly 86 percent of the total mass in the universe yet remains completely invisible, detectable only through its gravitational influence on light from distant galaxies through a process called weak gravitational lensing.Massey describes how dark matter forms a vast web of filaments and clumps throughout the cosmos, with enormous voids containing absolutely nothing in between. He explains that wherever ordinary matter exists, dark matter exists alongside it, drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction. The conversation covers how this invisible scaffolding shaped the formation of galaxies and ultimately made life possible.Art also discusses the push for a national Real ID system tied to driver's licenses, noting that five states have already refused to comply and thirteen more are considering defiance. He reads new findings on the honeybee die-off spreading across 35 states, where microscopic examination reveals blackened organs and scarred intestinal tracts in the dead bees, and shares a disturbing lab analysis of substances collected after heavy rainfall that included bacteria, heavy metals, and viruses.