SNO & Dark Matter in August

                                                                SNOLAB Neutrino Detector

 Through my years of congregational ministry I had lots of fun and even freaky outings thanks to parishioners who wanted me to understand the work they did. One of the most fascinating was a trip two kilometres under the Earth's surface to one of the leading scientific experiments of the time. 

A mining engineer in my Sudbury, Ontario congregation told me about a project dubbed SNO, for Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Scientists from around the world participated in the detection of sub-atomic particles called neutrinos detectable because they were shielded by the rock of the Sudbury Basin. I travelled into the bowels of the Earth in the mining cage which delivered us to a meticulously clean environment which required going through an air lock and donning special suits and boots. It was fascinating.

A few days ago I read about a new project working out of the SNO lab which will be searching for Dark Matter. This is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe.I'll let you do a search for a fuller explanation. 

I really enjoyed the SNOLAB experience, freaky elevator ride and all. There are lots of references to mystery in scripture, of the universe and of the Creator. The process of exploration and discovery can be understood as God-inspired, God--breathed, so long as we avoid the hubris of assuming we are gods. 

                                                  Trinity Nuclear Test, near Los Alamos NM, 1945