Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project

With thanks for generous funding from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion

  • Save the Date

    Join together at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to explore how cosmic questions—like dark matter and the origins of the universe—can inspire theological reflection & imagination.

  • Out of the Box

    Step beyond the familiar—sometimes the deepest truths about God, creation, and ourselves are found when we dare to think outside the box.

  • Bring New Ideas

    Come ready to share bold ideas and creative questions—this gathering is a space to spark new conversations and shape resources for life-giving ministry.

DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) sends an intense beam of neutrinos from Fermilab near Chicago to massive detectors located a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota—studying how these “ghost particles” oscillate, why matter exists, and what happens inside exploding stars.

  • Neutrinos are nearly invisible and pass through everything—billions pass through your body every second without a trace. Their elusive nature invites reflection on how God might also be at work in quiet, hidden, or unnoticed ways in the world and in our lives.

  • Neutrinos change “flavors” as they travel, a mysterious process known as oscillation. This strange transformation echoes the way human beings grow and shift through life, suggesting that faith is also dynamic, evolving, and shaped by movement through time and space.

  • DUNE may help explain why matter exists at all—why our universe didn’t cancel itself out in a perfect balance of matter and antimatter. This raises theological questions about why there is something rather than nothing, and whether the universe is wired toward life, meaning, and hope.

More about DUNE

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

Learn more about the flagship experiment which begins at Fermi Lab in Chicago and culminates with an enormous Argon detector, one mile underground at SURF.
DUNE WEBSITE

LUX-ZEPLIN

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector, located nearly a mile underground at SURF in South Dakota, using liquid xenon to search for rare interactions with mysterious dark matter particles.

  • LUX-ZEPLIN searches for dark matter—something we cannot observe directly but believe exists based on its effects. This mirrors theological reflections on faith, the unseen God, and the mystery of things hoped for but not yet revealed.

  • The search for dark matter reminds us how much of the cosmos remains a mystery, inviting us to approach God not as a puzzle to solve but as a presence that invites wonder, humility, and awe.

  • Dark matter may shape galaxies and cosmic evolution; this raises theological questions about the unseen forces that give form to creation and whether God’s creative work includes structures far beyond human perception.

LUX ZEPELIN (LZ)

AND THE HUNT FOR DARK MATTER

More About LUX-ZEPLIN

The LUX‑ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a cutting‑edge, next-generation dark matter detector located at the 4,850-foot (≈1.5 km) level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, utilizing a massive two-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber (≈7 tonnes active mass) to hunt for rare interactions from WIMP dark matter with unprecedented sensitivity
LUX ZEPLIN