Abstract

MOND, MOdified Newtonian Dynamics, attempts to explain deviations between, on the one hand, observations, and, on the other hand, expectations based on the gravitational forces due to baryonic matter — via a change in the law of gravitation rather than via dark matter. Despite its ad-hoc nature, MOND is still interesting because the observations on which it is based are undisputed and it is at least unclear whether the corresponding phenomena arise naturally in the context of mainstream astrophysics. However, the debate is often not healthy, which impedes progress. As someone with a stake neither in MOND nor in conventional astrophysical explanations of the corresponding phenomena, I suggest some ways to improve the debate on what is certainly an important topic.