---
title: "New Map of Dark Matter Breaks Scientists’ Understanding of Physics"
description: "## Dark Matter"
date: "2019-02-13"
modified: "2019-02-13"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/dark-matter-map-new-physics"
categories:
  - "Astrophysics"
  - "Dark Matter"
  - "Physics"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "dark matter"
  - "physics"
  - "space"
  - "universe"
---

# New Map of Dark Matter Breaks Scientists’ Understanding of Physics

![Scientists say a new map of how structures of dark matter have grown throughout the life of the universe could upend current understanding of physics.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/new-map-of-dark-matter-breaks-scientists-understanding-of-physics.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: HSC Project\</em\>*

## Dark Matter

Scientists have created a vast new map that explores how structures of dark matter have grown during the life of the universe — and they claim it could upend the current understanding of physics.

"If further data shows we're definitely right, then it suggests something is missing from our current understanding of the Standard Model and the general theory of relativity," Kavli Institute physicist Chiaki Hikage said in a [press release](<https://phys.org/news/2019-02-historical-dark.html>).

## Current Model

Hikage and colleagues analyzed images of 10 million galaxies taken with the 870 megapixel Subaru telescope in Hawaii.

The light from some of the galaxies traveled for billions of years to reach Earth, which let the researchers assemble a map of dark matter starting in the universe's early days — they just had to look at how its gravitational force bent the light.

What they found was surprising. The new map, [published on](<https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.09148>) the preprint server *arXiv*, suggests that the huge structure of dark matter in the universe formed more slowly that previously believed — results that "appear to challenge current understanding of the fundamental laws of physics," according to the press release.

## Road Ahead

But before physicists throw out the rulebook, Hikage cautioned that the new map needs to be corroborated.

"With a little more work, if we can get better accuracy, we might be able to find something concrete," he said in the press release. "This is a big motivating factor for me."

**READ MORE:** [Mapping Historical Changes in Dark Matter](<https://phys.org/news/2019-02-historical-dark.html>) \[*Phys.org*\]

***More on dark matter:** [A Floating, Virus-Sized Bead Could Help Find Dark Matter](<https://futurism.com/virus-bead-find-dark-matter>)*

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)