Math & science · around 2045
Dark matter identified
Projection
Experiments pin down what the invisible 85% of matter is made of.
Direct-detection experiments, colliders and astronomy are closing in from different sides. Identifying the particle or phenomenon would extend the Standard Model and explain how galaxies formed.
Why it’s plausible: Detectors are reaching the sensitivity limits set by neutrino backgrounds and new axion searches are starting; success depends on dark matter having some interaction we can detect, which is not guaranteed.