May 16, 2026
What is the universe actually made of? Particle
physicist Theresa Fruth join us at Shirtloads to explore one of
science’s greatest unsolved mysteries – dark matter! Making up
roughly 85% of the universe, yet appearing in none of our known
particles, dark matter is invisible, elusive and almost certainly
the reason the universe (and us!) exist at all.
Theresa and her team are hunting for it anyway.
Working 1.2 kilometres underground in a converted gold mine in
regional Victoria, they’re searching for WIMPs – weakly interacting
massive particles – in one of the quietest, most interference-free
environments on Earth. The lab is being built out now, and further
experiments are on the horizon. We may be closer to one of the
biggest discoveries in scientific history than we realise.
