There used to be this theory of Phlogiston, which was a material substance of heat (if you put a lit match under a brick, phlogiston would move from the match to the brick.)
Today of course, this sounds ridiculous. But my physics teacher was always keen to point out that the people involved weren't stupid and that it was an important theory because it was a good starting mental model of how things actually worked and led to our better understanding today.
I wonder if dark matter is similar. It's not flat wrong, it's the best explanation that we have so far and in it will lead us into another breakthrough of understanding.
Today of course, this sounds ridiculous. But my physics teacher was always keen to point out that the people involved weren't stupid and that it was an important theory because it was a good starting mental model of how things actually worked and led to our better understanding today.
I wonder if dark matter is similar. It's not flat wrong, it's the best explanation that we have so far and in it will lead us into another breakthrough of understanding.
1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlogiston_theory