Almost 100 years scientists have been gradually coming to an idea that the substance from which the entire matter of the Universe is made – atoms, planets, galaxies, nebulae, and even ourselves – from a cosmic point of view is insignificant. The nature of the main part of matter should consist of a mysterious substance that challenges our imagination. Scientists have named it dark matter. Dark matter is not a multitude of faint stars or an all-pervading dark intergalactic gas, it is not composed of black holes or regular atoms, but, like invisible glue, it holds the Universe together and serves as its driving force. "The Elephant in the Universe" is a thrilling thriller that tells the story of how scientists – both leading researchers and science renegades – broke their lances around dark matter and tried to discover it. Goeffrey Shilling explains in plain language the complex astrophysical theories of ACDM and MOND, analyzes WIMP and MACHO – candidates for dark matter – and talks about the latest technologies and experiments that are pushing us towards understanding what this mysterious substance truly is.