“Once you reach a cosmic scale, terms and conditions apply.”
TL;DR
Scientists from the University of Waterloo and the University of British Columbia have found a “cosmic glitch” in gravity that suggests Einstein’s general relativity may not fully explain the universe’s accelerating expansion. This anomaly, where gravity appears about one percent weaker over billions of light years, challenges the accuracy of Einstein’s model on cosmic scales. Researchers propose a new framework that adds conditions to Einstein’s theory to account for these discrepancies. The study could be the first clue to a larger cosmic puzzle, potentially reshaping our understanding of the universe’s behavior at grand scales.
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Introducing Einstein 2.0
Researchers have identified what they term a “cosmic glitch” in gravity, potentially shedding light on the universe’s puzzling behavior on a grand scale.
According to a new paper in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, scientists from the University of Waterloo and the University of British Columbia in Canada propose that Albert Einstein’s general relativity theory might fall short in fully explaining the universe’s accelerating expansion.
“Einstein’s gravity model has been crucial for everything from Big Bang theories to capturing images of black holes,” said lead author Robin Wen, a mathematical physics graduate from Waterloo, in the research announcement. “Yet, when we examine gravity at cosmic scales—like galaxy clusters and beyond—we notice inconsistencies with what general relativity predicts.”
“It’s as if gravity slightly diverges from Einstein’s theory,” Wen continued. “We refer to this anomaly as a ‘cosmic glitch,’ where gravity appears about one percent weaker at distances spanning billions of light years.”
Glitchuationship
In response to this anomaly, the researchers developed a new model to adjust Einstein’s theory and address these discrepancies.
“Think of it as a small addendum to Einstein’s theory,” Wen explained. “At cosmic distances, additional terms and conditions apply.”
This is one possible answer to a question that has baffled astronomers and physicists for decades.
“Nearly a century ago, astronomers discovered that the universe is expanding,” noted coauthor and astrophysics professor Niayesh Afshordi from the University of Waterloo. “The more distant the galaxies are, the faster they move, reaching speeds that approach the limit set by Einstein’s theory—the speed of light.”
“Our findings suggest that even at these vast scales, Einstein’s theory might be lacking,” Afshordi added.
Afshordi also indicated that their proposed “cosmic glitch” model is only the start.
“This new framework could be the initial clue in a larger cosmic puzzle we’re beginning to piece together across the expanse of space and time,” he said.
