5 hours ago
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/...sion-fate/
KRY POINTS: If you can measure both how fast the Universe is expanding today and how the cosmic expansion rate has changed over time, you can learn what makes up your Universe, and that determines your ultimate fate. Our standard model of cosmology is dominated by dark energy, with matter and radiation of all types being sub-dominant only by the present day, indicating that dark energy dominates our fate: portending a likely heat death. But recently, a series of measurements have pointed to a Universe that isn’t expanding isotropically: the same in all directions. Could that alter our fate? And if so, what are the implications?
EXCERPT: The expanding Universe, the Big Bang, and dark energy’s existence and properties are so thoroughly well-established that these final options seem unlikely; it would take extraordinary evidence to overturn current thought. But that’s why we keep investigating even the flimsiest of clues. After all, the greatest strength of science is that we continuously attempt to disprove and discredit even our most cherished scientific ideas. Only the ones that can survive each and every challenge will persist; the rest are relegated to the dustbin of historical also-rans... (MORE - details)
KRY POINTS: If you can measure both how fast the Universe is expanding today and how the cosmic expansion rate has changed over time, you can learn what makes up your Universe, and that determines your ultimate fate. Our standard model of cosmology is dominated by dark energy, with matter and radiation of all types being sub-dominant only by the present day, indicating that dark energy dominates our fate: portending a likely heat death. But recently, a series of measurements have pointed to a Universe that isn’t expanding isotropically: the same in all directions. Could that alter our fate? And if so, what are the implications?
EXCERPT: The expanding Universe, the Big Bang, and dark energy’s existence and properties are so thoroughly well-established that these final options seem unlikely; it would take extraordinary evidence to overturn current thought. But that’s why we keep investigating even the flimsiest of clues. After all, the greatest strength of science is that we continuously attempt to disprove and discredit even our most cherished scientific ideas. Only the ones that can survive each and every challenge will persist; the rest are relegated to the dustbin of historical also-rans... (MORE - details)