Abstract:  Strong evidence for dark matter has existed for many years, but its identity is still unknown. After a brief overview of some of the most attractive candidates for particle dark matter, we will focus in on one intriguing possibility: asymmetric dark matter nuclei. More specifically, we will explore the physics of a dark matter sector that allows for a spectrum of stable bound states of dark matter—the analog of nuclei. We will discuss the nuclear structure of these dark matter nuggets, along with the story of their potential synthesis in the early and late Universe, highlighting parallels with the structure and synthesis of normal nuclear matter.