We know that the universe is getting bigger. And we know that the speed that the universe is getting bigger is also getting bigger. The standard assumption is that the acceleration rate is itself ...

The vacuum of space isn't actually "empty"; it teems with particles that pop in and out of existence, giving the vacuum an energy of its own. But here's an embarrassing fact about that energy: it ...

As I finished my PhD in 1992, the universe was full of mystery – we didn’t even know exactly what it is made of. One could argue that cosmologists had made little progress in our understanding of ...

According to physics, the universe and everything in it can be explained by just a handful of equations. They’re difficult equations, all right, but their simplest feature is also the most mysterious ...

Astronomers may have misread cosmic acceleration for 27 years. The universe may be slowing down, not speeding up.

The theoretical framework underlying gravitational waves may have to be revamped to account for dark energy and the acceleration of the expansion of the universe. That’s the conclusion of researchers ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. New results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that the unknown force ...

The cosmological constant, which explains how and why the universe is expanding, has been previously described by astrophysicists as “the worst prediction in the history of physics” due to its ...

Teleology is the idea that some processes in nature are directed toward a goal or an end. Today, it is commonly asserted that teleology is a remnant of antiquated ways of thinking about causation, and ...

Physicists are now celebrating the 100th anniversary of the cosmological constant. On this occasion, two recent articles highlight its role in modern physics and cosmology. Before becoming widely ...

On the list of tales we like to tell about Albert Einstein, the story of his "biggest blunder" is near the top. It begins with a problem that was bugging Einstein: How could his theory of general ...