Dinosaurs Done In By... Dark Matter?

bmahersciwriter writes "Theoretical physicists propose that the Sun periodically crosses into a dense layer of dark matter sandwiching the Milky Way. The gravitational push and pull that this creates disturbs debris in the Oort cloud sending deadly comets and asteroids ricocheting around the solar system. This passage happens, their admittedly speculative model suggests, every 35 million years, which jibes somewhat with evidence on impact craters. Take it with a dino-sized grain of salt."

Queue End of the world articles in 3,2,1

[fullmetal55]

GO!
seriously how long until someone claims that this happens every 35 million years and the clock is ticking down to Nov 10, 2016.

Re:Queue End of the world articles in 3,2,1

[DrPBacon]

But have you looked at the numbers? All the numbers?! They add up!

No, this is the real reason...

[ArcadeNut]

Real Reason [hubimg.com]

Re:This seems to make a lot of assumptions

[The123king]

Or that dark matter actually exists. I've never seen any definitive scientific evidence of the existence of it. Dark matter just seems to be that stuff we use to answer anything we don't quite understand. Big Bang? Dark matter. Quantum physics? Dark matter. Extinction of the dinosaurs? Dark matter. Why is yo mamma so fat? Dark matter.

the punchline...

[Connie_Lingus]

obviously, the dark matter came from Uranus

Re:magic

[mythosaz]

My understanding of the English language isn't complete, but I understood "theoretical physicists" to mean that the physicists themselves were only theoretical -- in much the same way that "garden gnome" is a gnome that lives in a garden.

Re:magic

[FatdogHaiku]

I have found you can increase gravity locally by slamming down a 12 pack of beer. From this I can deduce that in order to stay together, the galaxies must be totally hammered...

Re:magic

[DexterIsADog]

...in case you missed the first three words of the summary: "Theoretical physicists propose..."

I prefer to get my physics from physicists that actually exist, thanks.

Re:magic

[roc97007]

I darn well stubbed my toe on *something* when I staggered home last night, so I'm pretty sure the garden gnome is not theoretical.

Re:This seems to make a lot of assumptions

[PolygamousRanchKid]

when a string bends in the 4th dimension it creates the effects of dark matter.

. . . but only if there is someone there in the 4th dimension to hear it.

Re:magic

[dbraden]

In all fairness to mythosaz, he called it a "garden gnome," not a "theoretical garden gnome."