Newsflash: Scientists jump to conclusions again

From CNN.com: "New observations of a great big cosmic collision provide the best evidence yet that invisible and mysterious dark matter really does exist."

The impact split normal matter and dark matter apart, rendering the dark matter's gravitational presence observable...

The dark matter is not seen, but its gravity has a predictable effect on the observations...

The hot gas -- normal matter -- was slowed by a drag force described as the cosmic equivalent of air resistance. But the dark matter was not slowed by this effect, presumably because it does not interact with normal matter, as theory had predicted.

"This proves in a simple and direct way that dark matter exists." [Maxim] Markevitch said in the teleconference.

Excuse me? It proves no such thing. It proves that there is gravity coming from a part of space that they weren't expecting it to come from - just another inexplicable result which can only be solved by further careful observation and hard work.

It does not prove that 25% of the universe is made up of particles which, by the very way their description is constructed by humans, are literally impossible to detect. (Isn't it so darn convenient basing your arguments on something no one can refute?) And it certainly doesn't prove that this stuff sits in cold haloes around galaxies and makes them rotate slower than our pretty little theories say they should do.

The theories are wrong, the theories are still all wrong, and training telescopes on empty space in attempts to find what we claim should be there is not going to fix the theories. Once upon a time, science was about letting reality speak for itself. When did it become an exercise in shaping reality to fit our expectations?