Push Not Pull: Dark matter is detectable, so far, only through it's interaction with gravity. The planets in this piece play with Einstein's theory of gravity, which describes how objects with mass can curve and warp space itself. Dark matter—or weakly interacting massive particles, aka WIMPs—warp space in the same way. So far, WIMPs have revealed themselves only to astronomers, who can observe the effect of dark matter on gravity. The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment in the Sanford Lab is looking for other evidence for WIMPs. If LUX works, I'll need to create a new Termesphere. Dick Termes is an internationally acclaimed artist who’s work has been recognized from San Francisco to Paris, France, from New York to Japan and his one of a kind spherical paintings have been published in books all over the world. Recently, Termes’ piece titled “The Big Bang” was featured on the cover of France’s publication of Une Belle Histoire du Temps which means A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking. Unlike any other painter; Termes paints on spheres which, when completed, are known as Termespheres. Each Termesphere is a revolving three-dimensional space/time exploration of an entirely closed universe, meaning that what you see, rotating in front of you, is one complete world or environment.
Photo Credit: Dick Termes, Sanford Underground Research Facility
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