Press Coverage

“Dark matter particles won’t kill you. If they could, they would have already” by Lisa Grossman ScienceNews

“Dark matter particles won’t kill you. If they could, they would have already” by Lisa Grossman ScienceNews

“As wacky as this might sound, physicist Katherine Freese thought these calculations were worth doing. “This study is fun,” says Freese of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Looking for macros in already existing detectors, such as the human body, is a good idea.” Though she wasn’t involved in the macro research, she and […]

“If this type of dark matter existed, people would be dying of unexplained ‘gunshot’ wounds” by Juanita Bawagan Science

“If this type of dark matter existed, people would be dying of unexplained ‘gunshot’ wounds” by Juanita Bawagan Science

The Case Western team is not the only group of researchers trying to harness new ways to detect dark matter. Freese has developed paleo-detector experiments that would be sensitive enough to detect the traces of WIMPs in ancient minerals. However, rocks could also show signals of heavier dark matter—in more obvious ways. If macros collide […]

“Physicists Propose Hunting for Signs of Dark Matter in Ancient Minerals” by Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Gizmodo “Now, scientists are preparing to hunt for signatures of dark matter particles in the Earth itself. It might sound a little farfetched—but this strategy has some advantages over some current dark matter searches, which rely on massive, expensive, custom-built facilities. ‘We’re not going to build anything,” study author Katherine Freese, theoretical astrophysicist and professor […]

“Why the Best Place to Find Dark Matter May Be in a Rock” by Rebecca Boyle

“Why the Best Place to Find Dark Matter May Be in a Rock” by Rebecca Boyle

Quanta Magazine “We’re always rooting around for alternative ways to do things,” said Katherine Freese, a theoretical physicist at the University of Michigan and architect of the ideas behind some of the existing detectors in operation. A subterranean paleo-detector would work in a manner similar to current direct-detection methods, according to Freese and her colleagues. […]