Scientists seek to solve dark matter mystery

Previous hunts for the hypothetical matter have turned up nothing, but that has not deterred some two dozen research teams from plumbing the darkness of idled mines and tunnel shafts for a fleeting glimpse.

Dark-matter detecting machines today are more powerful than previous generations, but even the best has failed so far to catch a whiff of the stuff. Many teams are now building bigger detectors or toying with novel technologies to aid in the hunt.

Scientists admittedly are still in the dark about dark matter. The prevailing theory is that it8217;s made up of tiny, exotic particles left over from the Big Bang some 13.7 billion years ago. Dark matter, thought to make up a quarter of the universe8217;s mass, gets its name because it doesn8217;t give off light or heat. Astronomers know it exists because of its gravitational tug-of-war with stars and galaxies.