"What scientists found, instead, was that the Universe was expanding at an ever-increasing rate."
I have always had a problem with this. We have no point of reference, we are part of the moving system. One course in astronomy told me pretty much what I needed to know. The number of assumptions not seen as such is significant. No one questions them.
My take on all of it is that if there is indeed missing mass, then it is in the form of energy under the utilisation of intelligences. Nothing is "dark", we just don't know where it is.
Here's a question: How do we know the "big bang" is over? Maybe it is not finished yet.
edit: some more questions ...
What is the Van der Waals radius (so to speak) of a galaxy? Does it have one?
What does it take to make them collide? Is galactic "fusion" possible/observed?
Can a galaxy have a net charge?
Do they all spin in the same direction? (yeah, yeah, reflect it in its plane...) This one is tough with no frame of reference. Do they all spin?
Why are there discrete galaxies? Why not one huge one?
edit2: waaiiitt a minute... how can galaxies collide if all from the same point source?