What Dark Matter Actually Is | KeShawn Ivory (dark.mattering)

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, hosts Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with KeShawn Ivory, a soon-to-be PhD astrophysicist who studies the large-scale structure of the universe, for a deep conversation about dark matter, cosmology, and the invisible stuff that holds the universe together.The discussion moves from what dark matter actually is to how the universe became clumpy and lumpy instead of smooth, why the first atoms appeared minutes after the Big Bang, and how primordial black holes (a mountain's worth of mass packed into the size of a proton) became one of the more compelling candidates for what dark matter might be. Along the way, they get into how scientists detect something they can't see, what counts as evidence, and how scientific consensus actually moves.The conversation also dives into the hunt for dark matter through detection experiments, the role of skepticism in good science, what it means to know something, and KeShawn's favorite idea of all: that dark matter works as a framework for any force that is deeply impactful but hard to see, from race and systemic disparities in sociology to genomic dark matter in biology and trauma in art.Chapters00:00:00 Intro and meeting KeShawn Ivory00:02:30 The PhD as a credential and the path to science communication00:08:55 What dark matter actually is00:10:00 Why the universe is clumpy: large-scale structure00:11:30 The early universe and the first atoms00:20:30 The cosmic microwave background and the universe's baby picture00:30:00 How we know dark matter is really there00:33:30 Primordial black holes as a dark matter candidate00:40:00 Dark stars and other exotic candidates00:47:40 Healthy skepticism and how scientific consensus moves00:53:00 Science, truth, and what it means to know something00:59:00 The hunt for dark matter: WIMPs, axions, and detectors01:08:00 How theory predicts the particles we look for01:17:50 Astrosociology: dark matter as a lens on race and systemic forces01:24:10 Dark matter as a storytelling tool in biology and art01:26:18 Where to find Kishan and Black Space WeekFollow us@[email protected]@mr.fascinateGuestsKishan Ivory (Dark Mattering)Visit our Merch Storehttps://www.curiositytheorypod.com/merchJoin our Patreon/ curiositytheoryIf you enjoy the conversation, subscribe and share Curiosity Theory with someone who's curious about the universe.