Your lab results are in…
Readying for the study, the neural networks were loaded with data simulating the Universe. These dark matter maps were repeatedly analyzed by the neural network, which extracted as much information as they could from the data. Over time, the AI improved its ability to recognize and differentiate one feature from another.
The neural networks eventually produced values that were 30 percent more accurate than those obtained from human-derived statistics. A similar improvement using traditional statistical methods would require twice the telescope time, which can be hard (and expensive) to come by.
I’m dark matter. The universe inside of me is full of something, and science can’t even shine a light on it. I feel like I’m mostly made of mysteries. ― Maria Dahvana Headley, Magonia
The fully-trained AI was then used to analyze maps of dark matter, attempting to uncover details lost to traditional analysis.
“[W]e found that the deep artificial neural network enables us to extract more information from the data than previous approaches. We believe that this usage of machine learning in cosmology will have many future applications,” explains Janis Fluri, a PhD student in Refregier’s group.
The facial recognition with which we are most familiar is based on contours of faces, measuring and recognizing aspects which are difficult of impossible to alter, such as the distance between a person’s eyes or the shape of their chins.
This technology, similar to that used in airports, border crossings, and during large public events, is a new tool in the quest to identify dark matter in space. Over time, these neural networks will be unleashed on larger dark matter datasets, such as the Dark Energy Survey.
The formation, evolution, and the ultimate fate of Universe are some of the underlying problems in cosmology and astrophysics. Understanding the effects of dark matter (pulling objects together) and dark energy (pushing the Cosmos apart) is essential to unravel the nature of the Cosmos.
This article was originally published on The Cosmic Companion by James Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England native turned desert rat in Tucson, where he lives with his lovely wife, Nicole, and Max the Cat. You can read this original piece here.
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