Dark matter: the next great discovery of particle physics?: Ettore Majorana through the Looking-glass

As we celebrate the completion of the Standard Model with the discovery of a Higgs-like boson, some of us are working hard on what may be the next great discovery of particle physics. The problem of missing mass, which is now known as dark matter, has persisted for nearly a century. In this time, astrophysical evidence in favor of dark matter has only grown stronger. We now know that dark matter constitutes a majority of the matter in the Universe, yet it is not composed of any particle in the Standard Model. Dark matter is necessary for the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters and hence has shaped the Universe as we know it. Despite this body of knowledge, we still don't know what particles compose dark matter or how they interact with the particles of the Standard Model. The answers to these remaining questions are being pursued on all frontiers of discovery. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the suite of experiments that is colloquially known as "direct detection" experiments. I will describe how these experiments aim to solve the dark matter puzzle, highlight some of the most promising efforts and conclude with a discussion onmore » future prospects.« less