No wimps down iron mine, according to articles in Nature Science Update, 6 May 2004 and New Scientist, p 15 May 2004. p4. WIMPS are Weakly Interactive Massive Particles and are believed to be a type cold dark matter – mysterious matter not yet seen, but claimed to make up most of the mass in the universe if the Big Bang theory is correct. Physicists from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search II (CDMSII) in the USA have built a highly sensitive device that should be able to detect these particles if they exist. In order to shield it from radiation they have placed it in an old iron mine, 700 metres below the ground in Minnesota. After six months no WIMPS have been found, but the scientists are not deterred. They plan to build a much bigger detector that will be ten times more sensitive. If this doesn’t work those who came up with the theory may have to re-think their ideas. Harry Nelson, a physicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who presented the results at the American Physical Society’s annual meeting, commented: “CDMSII isn’t exerting an annoying pressure on theorists yet, but they’re starting to feel it.”
Editorial Comment: Instead of concentrating their efforts on mysterious matter and energy that can’t be seen, physicists would do better to concentrate on the matter and energy that can be seen, and take note of the record left by the Creator who made matter and energy. (Ref. WIMP, matter, energy)