We are told that “Scientists have identified a sub-atomic particle that could have formed the “dark matter” in the Universe during the Big Bang:
Up to 80% of the Universe could be dark matter, but despite many decades of study, its physical origin has remained an enigma. While it cannot be seen directly, scientists know it exists because of its interaction via gravity with visible matter like stars and planets. Dark matter is composed of particles that do not absorb, reflect or emit light. Now, nuclear physicists at the University of York are putting forward a new candidate for the mysterious matter — a particle they recently discovered called the d-star hexaquark.
University of York, “Scientists shed light on mystery of dark matter” at ScienceDaily\
Stop there, says our physics color commentator Rob Sheldon, noting “More hype. In 2014 there was a hint of a “hexaquark” hanging around for a few nanoseconds, but dark matter has to be stable, lasting the lifetime of a galaxy without emitting the gamma rays of an unstable particle. At best, it might be stable in the bizarre conditions of a neutron star, but even that is questionable. And I don’t really know why every new thing in particle physics turns into “dark matter”–perhaps because the street lights are so dim over there?”
See also: Discover: Even the best dark matter theories are crumbling
Researcher: The search for dark matter has become a “quagmire of confirmation bias” So many research areas in science today are hitting hard barriers that it is reasonable to think that we are missing something.
Physicists devise test to find out if dark matter really exists
Largest particle detector draws a blank on dark matter
What if dark matter just doesn’t stick to the rules?
A proposed dark matter solution makes gravity an illusion
and
Proposed dark matter solution: “Gravity is not a fundamental governance of our universe, but a reaction to the makeup of a given environment.”