Abdulmutallab then passed through a walk-through metal detector and put his shoulder bag through an X-ray screening machine, Demuren said.

CNN: Obama orders review of flight screenings

As dark matter particles steam through the detector, scientists hope that a few will collide with the argon atoms.

BBC: Dark Matter: Experiment to shed light on dark particles

Naturally occurring neutrinos from cosmic rays, supernovae and the sun stream through the detector at the same time.

ENGADGET: NOvA neutrino detector captures cosmic rays in 3D, aims to unlock the mysteries of the universe