Dark energy doesn't exist: Scientists make shocking claim on big mystery

A group of scientists have challenged dark energy's existence and suggested that the universe's expansion is accelerating due to uneven gravitational effects on time

In a claim that could shake the foundations of astronomy, some scientists have claimed that dark energy does not exist–an audacious assumption which could help get rid of the universe's biggest mysteries. The traditional belief among scientists has been that the presence of dark energy could help explain the expansion of the universe in all directions.

What is dark energy?

Scientists introduced dark energy which is a theoretical concept to explain the understanding of acceleration in the expansion of the universe. Dark energy works against gravity exerting negative pressure filling the space and stretching the fabric of spacetime itself. 

 

This dark energy is believed to be a mysterious force constituting 68% to 72% of the total energy of the universe, surpassing both dark matter and visible matter in terms of influence on the total structure of the universe. Dark energy is a dominant force that shapes the cosmos, even though it is largely invisible and even undetectable.

Time ticks faster in empty space

According to researchers at the University of Canterbury, the universe does not actually expand equally in all directions. Instead, it is growing in a “lumpier” way, which is in more varied directions. 

 

The concept of dark energy is, therefore, no longer needed. This presumption advocates a different model that suggests the unusual results seen in the way light stretches are a result not of how the universe is expanding but the way we think about time and distance.

 

The study says that the fact that gravity can slow time has contributed to the confusion. For instance, the clocks would run faster in empty space as compared to a busy galaxy.

 

David Wiltshire from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand said, “Our findings show that we do not need dark energy to explain why the Universe appears to expand at an accelerating rate.”

 

“Dark energy is a misidentification of variations in the kinetic energy of expansion, which is not uniform in a Universe as lumpy as the one we actually live in."

 

“The research provides compelling evidence that may resolve some of the key questions around the quirks of our expanding cosmos.

 

“With new data, the Universe’s biggest mystery could be settled by the end of the decade.”