Can Dark Matter and Dark Energy Be Used to Explain Superhero Powers?

AI Thread Summary
Dark matter and dark energy are complex concepts in physics, with dark matter being a type of matter that does not interact with normal matter except through gravity. The idea of superhero powers originating from a dark matter explosion is seen as a creative but scientifically inaccurate premise, as dark matter does not interact in ways that would cause mutations. While some participants suggest that a compelling storyline can justify the use of such concepts, others emphasize that the scientific basis is weak. The discussion highlights the balance between scientific accuracy and storytelling in superhero narratives. Ultimately, the success of the idea depends on the execution of the storyline rather than strict adherence to scientific principles.
Benicus
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So I'm running a superhero game on another forum and I am trying to keep comic book physics to a minimum. Problem is...I've never taken a physics class (I'm a high school student, I've taken Biology and Chem but Physics is next year).

I was wondering how dark matter and dark energy work and what they are and was wondering if anyone here is kind enough to give a really simple version of what they are. I read the wikipedia article but it kind of didn't make much sense...

The reason why I'm wondering is because I want to make the superhero's powers originate from a dark matter explosion passing through Earth causing latent mutations to develop. Is this too comic-book sciencey or could I work with it?
 
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I'd go with it Mate, if the storyline is good enough it'll stand up, Hollywood used whatever scientific tosh came up in the middle of the last century and the good ones still are enjoyable today no matter how far fetched:smile:
 
It certainly bears little resemblance to any scientific conception of dark matter. What makes dark matter dark is that it pretty much doesn't interact (other than through gravity) with any normal matter, including that that people are made of.
 
If dark matter is a form of matter that doesn't cause the curvature of space-time,then in what sense is it ever capable of causing an interplay with gravity?
 
Dark matter does cause curvature of spacetime, as does anything else that has mass or any other kind of energy.
 
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