What is the primary implication of the discrepancy between theory (Keplerian dynamics) and observation (flat curves) regarding evidence standards?

Scientists must rigorously test all potential sources of error before proposing new physics or new matter.

The galactic rotation problem highlights the stringent evidential demands placed upon modern astrophysics. When a fundamental conflict arises between a highly tested theoretical framework (Keplerian dynamics based on visible mass) and precise observational data (flat rotation curves), the scientific process requires extreme due diligence. Before concluding that physics must be radically revised or that a new type of matter exists, researchers must systematically rule out all possible observational biases or accounted-for baryonic sources, such as faint stars, dust, or complex gas motions. This rigor ensures that revolutionary conclusions about the nature of the universe are only accepted when all conventional explanations have been exhaustively eliminated.