An easy way to get yourself a cool $100k?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Nereid
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Cool
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The thread discusses a $100,000 prize challenge related to proving the necessity of dark matter. Participants explore the implications of the challenge, the feasibility of the task, and its potential use in educational settings, particularly in undergraduate Physics and Astronomy courses.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the legitimacy of the prize and the challenge's financial backing.
  • There is a suggestion that the challenge could serve as a basis for extra credit assignments in undergraduate courses, focusing on exploring various approaches rather than providing a complete solution.
  • One participant questions the practicality of the challenge, humorously referencing the need for expensive equipment like a particle accelerator.
  • A later reply highlights a specific assumption made by the challenge regarding gravitational attraction within a spherical shell, suggesting that it aligns with established physical principles.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express skepticism about the challenge and its feasibility, but there is no consensus on the validity of the assumptions made in the challenge or the potential educational value of the task.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions regarding gravitational forces and the nature of the challenge remain unresolved, and the discussion reflects varying levels of familiarity with the topic among participants.

Nereid
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
3,397
Reaction score
3
"Dark-matter $100000 prize, Prove dark matter is needed and win!"

033 hits to date (http://www.darkmatterprize.net/ )

Personally I think a) he doesn't have $100k, and b) this might form the basis for an interesting set of 'extra credit' assignments for an undergraduate Physics/Astronomy course ... :wink:

But, who knows, perhaps the old English adage about a fool and his money may have some validity in the 21st century?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
I have always heard a fool and his money make a good party! :smile: :biggrin:

It looks to me as thought his would either be an upper graduate level(at the very least) or graduate level type modeling. How many UGs do you know that could pull this off as 'extra-credit'?

I think if you prove him wrong they'll throw you a Phd. because this kind of proof would be seminal in the current debate surrounding dark matter, IMHO.
 
Will he cover the cost of my particle accelerator, as well? I didn't think so. The amazing Randi million dollar challenge sounds more attainable. Heck, all I need is a peach branch and some underground water pipes.
 
It's been a while ... I'd meant to come back to this, but got distracted.

"this might form the basis for an interesting set of 'extra credit' assignments for an undergraduate Physics/Astronomy course[/color]" - i.e. not that a 'full solution' gets the extra credit, but that pieces of the proposed puzzle, or exploring approaches might be a good idea.

In any case, it seems there's some discussion (here) which might be of interest to some PFers.
 
Note that I'm not very familiar with this topic, but I will point out that one of the asssumptions he doesn't allow seems valid to me:

2. Matter inside or outside a spherical shell does not attract the shell. According to Newton's law every particle in a galaxy attracts every other.

The net force affecting matter inside a spherical shell (with homogeneously distributed mass) is zero for the same geometric reason that the net force on a charged particle inside a spherical shell on which charge is homogeneously distributed is zero.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Programs Math minor, double major, and elective classes advice
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • Sticky
Physics Forums Global Guidelines
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
507K