Haley Le 10C 1/8/13 Milgrom, Mordehai. "Does Dark Matter Really Exist?" Scientific American 287.2 (2002): 2!"2.

#ri$t. %he re&ie' arti(le addresses the )ollo'i$g *ro+lems: does dark matter exist, sho,ld a modi)i(atio$ +e a**lied to the la's o) *hysi(s 'he$ deali$g 'ith galaxies, a$d (a$ M-.D +e(ome more tha$ /,st a *he$ome$ologi(al theory? %he dark matter *ro+lem arises )rom 'he$ astro$omers tried to determi$e ho' m,(h mass 'as i$ &ario,s galaxies. 0y ,si$g the la's o) *hysi(s, astro$omers (a$ (al(,late ho' m,(h mass m,st +e *rese$t i$ order to (o,$ter+ala$(e the motio$s. %he *ro+lem 'as that 'hat 'as a(t,ally o+ser&ed )ell )ar short o) the amo,$t (al(,lated. %oday, the o$ly ex*la$atio$ that astro$omers (a$ gi&e is that dark matter exists a$d is (a,si$g these mass dis(re*a$(ies. %he a,thor states that ma$y astro$omers +elie&e i$ this theory +,t *ro&ides $o e&ide$(e other tha$ the ,$ex*lai$a+le mass &ariatio$s. %h,s, this e&ide$(e (a$$ot +e (o$sidered relia+le. 1ittle is k$o'$ a+o,t dark matter a$d there are too ma$y other l,rki$g &aria+les that (o,ld ha&e (a,sed the mass di))ere$(es. Determi$i$g dark matter2s existe$(e is im*orta$t +e(a,se it 'o,ld +e 'ise to k$o' 'hat s,+sta$(es might a))e(t ),t,re i$terstellar tra&el. Dark matter is the o$ly ex*la$atio$ gi&e$ 'he$ the a((e*ted la's o) *hysi(s are )ollo'ed, +,t 'hat i) the )a,lt lies 'ithi$ these la's? %his leads to the se(o$d *ro+lem, sho,ld the sta$dard la's o) *hysi(s +e (ha$ged i$ this sit,atio$? %hese la's a((,rately ex*lai$ the )light o) a +allisti( missile a$d the motio$s o) the *la$ets. 3o'e&er, their extra*olatio$ to galaxies has $e&er +ee$ dire(tly tested. %he (o$(l,sio$ rea(hed 'as modi)i(atio$ is $e(essary i) the sta$dard la's do $ot a**ly to galaxies. %he e&ide$(e regardi$g modi)yi$g the la's o) *hysi(s is (o$&i$(i$g +e(a,se the la's 'ere *ro+a+ly

Haley Le 10C 1/8/13 $ot desig$ed )or galaxies at the time they 'ere (reated. 4lso, extra*olati$g is al'ays ,$sa)e, these la's sho,ld sti(k stri(tly to 'hat they 'ere tested o$. 5t is im*orta$t to k$o' 'hether the la's sho,ld +e modi)ied +e(a,se it 'o,ld hel* elimi$ate the idea o) dark matter a$d ad&a$(e the *ro(ess to sol&i$g the *ro+lem o) mass dis(re*a$(ies. 5$ order to elimi$ate the $eed )or dark matter, Mordehai Milgrom, the a,thor, *ro*osed a modi)i(atio$ to .e'to$2s se(o$d la' o) motio$. %his modi)i(atio$ (ha$ged the relatio$ +et'ee$ )or(e a$d a((eleratio$ 'he$ the a((eleratio$ is lo'. %his 'as the i$itiatio$ o) M-.D, 'hi(h sta$ds )or Modi)ied .e'to$ia$ Dy$ami(s. 5$trod,(i$g the third *ro+lem, (a$ M-.D +e(ome more tha$ a limited *he$ome$ologi(al theory? M-.D has *redi(ted ma$y e))e(ts that 'ere $ot tested 'he$ )irst (reated. 4lso, it (orres*o$ds remarka+ly to the sha*e o) the gala(ti( rotatio$ (,r&es. E&e$ (,rre$t dark matter theories do $ot ex*lai$ the rotatio$al data as 'ell as M-.D does. Des*ite M-.D6s s,((esses, it 'as $ot (o$str,(ted o$ ),$dame$tal *ri$(i*les, that is, it 'as +,ilt to des(ri+e a$d ex*lai$ a +ody o) o+ser&atio$s. %here)ore, it (a$$ot yet +e a**lied to all the rele&a$t *he$ome$a at ha$d. 3o'e&er, the a,thor is ho*e),l that M-.D 'ill someday +e i$(or*orated i$to a theory that o+eys the *ri$(i*les o) relati&ity. 3e dra's the (o$(l,sio$ that it is sim*ly a matter o) time +e)ore it does. 4ltho,gh M-.D2s *redi(tio$s are extraordi$arily a((,rate i$ some (ases, ma$y o) 'hi(h are more *re(ise tha$ other dark matter theories, it (a$ o$ly +e a**lied to the galaxies it 'as desig$ed )or. %here)ore the e&ide$(e )or M-.D6s *ossi+le de&elo*me$t is ,$)easi+le. 7$dersta$di$g that M-.D 'ill $ot s,r*ass a *he$ome$ologi(al theory is im*orta$t so that it 'ill $ot +e ,$sa)ely ,sed to make ),rther *redi(tio$s. 5$ all thi$gs (o$sidered, the a,thor did a$ ex(elle$t /o+ o) demo$strati$g his *oi$t

Haley Le 10C 1/8/13 o) &ie'. 4ltho,gh his ideas may (ome o)) as a+stra(t to ma/ority o) astro$omers, they 'ere ex*lai$ed 'ith )a(ts a$d ratio$ality, *ers,adi$g the a,die$(e to 8,estio$ (,rre$t +elie)s. 3e *oi$ts o,t ma$y holes i$ today6s most a((e*ted theories, *ro&idi$g ma$y *ossi+ilities )or $e' o$es to +e (o$sidered. 9ome 'eak *oi$ts o) this arti(le 'as that $ot e$o,gh is k$o'$ a+o,t galaxies today to make s,(h stro$g ass,m*tio$s. .o$etheless, the (o$(l,sio$s dra'$ )rom this arti(le 'ill hel* ),rther dis(o&eries o) galaxy )ormatio$ a$d e&ol,tio$.