Hunting the Universe’s Missing Matter: Prof Yin-Zhe Ma on Discovery, Data, and the Science Oscars
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In this episode of Lift Club, Caleb Daries and Mophethi Mabeba speak with Prof Yin-Zhe Ma PhD (Cantab), Head of the Astrophysics Group and Stellenbosch-Groningen Joint Research Chair at Stellenbosch University, as well as Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof Ma is the 2025 recipient of the NSTF-South32 TW Kambule Researcher Award — one of South Africa’s Science Oscars, presented by the National Science and Technology Forum to recognise excellence in science, engineering, technology, and innovation.
Prof Ma’s groundbreaking research tackles one of cosmology’s greatest puzzles: the universe’s “missing matter.” He explains how baryons — the building blocks of visible matter — should make up about 4.8% of the universe’s density, yet only 10% of that can be seen with conventional methods. By developing innovative statistical estimators and combining data from major astronomical surveys, he has successfully detected faint webs of gas hidden between galaxies, offering new insight into how galaxies form, evolve, and interact.
In this conversation, Prof Ma shares the story behind this scientific breakthrough, his early fascination with the stars, and the moment a lecture in China changed the course of his life. He discusses the role South Africa can play in global astrophysics, why computational astronomy is vital for the country’s future, and how he makes complex science accessible to the public through storytelling.
Whether you are a science enthusiast, an aspiring physicist, or simply curious about the universe, this episode offers a compelling look at the frontiers of discovery — from the depths of space to the innovations that bring cosmic mysteries within our grasp.
Prof Ma’s groundbreaking research tackles one of cosmology’s greatest puzzles: the universe’s “missing matter.” He explains how baryons — the building blocks of visible matter — should make up about 4.8% of the universe’s density, yet only 10% of that can be seen with conventional methods. By developing innovative statistical estimators and combining data from major astronomical surveys, he has successfully detected faint webs of gas hidden between galaxies, offering new insight into how galaxies form, evolve, and interact.
In this conversation, Prof Ma shares the story behind this scientific breakthrough, his early fascination with the stars, and the moment a lecture in China changed the course of his life. He discusses the role South Africa can play in global astrophysics, why computational astronomy is vital for the country’s future, and how he makes complex science accessible to the public through storytelling.
Whether you are a science enthusiast, an aspiring physicist, or simply curious about the universe, this episode offers a compelling look at the frontiers of discovery — from the depths of space to the innovations that bring cosmic mysteries within our grasp.