Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies announces Samhain agus Science event for Halloween

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) will hold a special event this Halloween exploring the spooky dark matter that surrounds us. Wednesday, 31 October, has been designated International Dark Matter Day, to coincide with Halloween. The special event ‘Samhain agus Science: Don’t be afraid of the Dark’ will take place on 31st October, from 6.30pm to 8pm at 10 Burlington Road, Dublin 4.

What is Dark Matter?

Dark matter makes up approximately 85 per cent of the total mass of the universe and has so far only been detected through its gravity-based effects in space. Scientists are unsure if dark matter is comprised of undiscovered particles, or if it can be explained by tweaking the known laws of physics. Solving the mystery of dark matter is considered one of the most pressing pursuits in particle physics and could teach us much about the history and structure of our universe.

Event Details

Announcing details of the DIAS event, Professor Emeritus Luke Drury, said: “Dark matter is one of the great mysteries of physics: the evidence for its existence is compelling, but we have no idea what it is. At present, physicists understand only about five per cent of the ‘stuff’ that makes up the universe. The rest is mysterious dark matter and even more mysterious dark energy.

“Halloween is a time when people celebrate the unseen and embrace all things ghostly, spiritual and spooky. Dark Matter Day is timed to coincide with Halloween to draw attention to the elusive, mysterious and ethereal nature of dark matter.”

Professor Drury will be one of the guest speakers at Thursday’s event, explaining why astrophysicists are convinced dark matter exists. He will be joined by Professor Brian Dolan, University of Maynooth, who will explore what dark matter could possibly be.

The event is free to attend, and you can register now at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/diasdiscovers-samhain-agus-science-tickets-51247681194?aff=ebdssbdestsearch