Black matter, Dark energy

If black holes are actually droplets of dark energy that convert stellar matter into this mysterious and dominant force, many "cosmic hiccups" could soon be cured.

This week, researchers pinned down the age of a complete Homo-genus skull found in Greece in 1960 to at least 286,000 years old. Medical researchers reported that the majority of chronic pain patients discontinue cannabis use within one year. And engineers prototyped solar trees, a new solar technology designed with natural tree morphology that can be incorporated into natural branches in the upper canopies of trees while allowing light to penetrate to underlying vegetation.

A new interpretation of dark energy data suggests that the mysterious force, which accelerated the early universe's expansion, emerged naturally from black holes.

Nature is the foremost international weekly scientific journal in the world and is the flagship journal for Nature Portfolio. It publishes the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature publishes landmark papers, award winning news, leading comment and expert opinion on important, topical scientific news and events that enable readers to share the latest discoveries in science and evolve the discussion amongst the global scientific community.

Nature is the foremost international weekly scientific journal in the world and is the flagship journal for Nature Portfolio. It publishes the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature publishes landmark papers, award winning news, leading comment and expert opinion on important, topical scientific news and events that enable readers to share the latest discoveries in science and evolve the discussion amongst the global scientific community.

Author(s): S. P. Ahlen et al. (DESI Collaboration)An alternative to the standard cosmological model where matter is converted to dark energy during stellar collapse results in an accurate cosmological expansion history and a summed neutrino mass posterior distribution peaked at positive mass. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 081003] Published Thu Aug 21, 2025

Researchers at Durham and collaborators in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) mission have proposed a bold new theory that black holes could be converting matter into dark energy.

Scientists have created the largest catalogue of exploding stars ever assembled, and it's telling us something surprising about the mysterious force driving our universe apart. After analyzing over 2,000 stellar explosions spanning billions of years, researchers have found hints that dark energy, the force making up 70% of our universe, may not be the constant we once thought. Instead, it appears to be changing over time, potentially even weakening!

It took about 50 exploding stars to upend cosmology. Researchers mapped and measured light from Type Ia supernovae, the dramatic explosion of a particular kind of white dwarf. In 1998, they announced their surprising results: Instead of slowing down or staying constant, our universe was expanding faster and faster. The discovery of "dark energy," the unknown ingredient driving the accelerated expansion, was awarded a Nobel Prize.

Author(s): Maria Berti, Emilio Bellini, Camille Bonvin, Martin Kunz, Matteo Viel, and Miguel ZumalacarreguiThe authors perform a model-independent, non-parametric reconstruction of dark energy density using DESI BAO, CMB, and SNe data. Their method employs a piecewise polynomial interpolation without assuming a functional form of dark energy density. This analysis shows mild but consistent deviations from ΛCDM and evidence for phantom crossing. The framework is robust, flexible and can be readily used for next-generation precision cosmological surveys. [Phys. Rev. D 112, 023518] Published Tue Jul 08, 2025

New evidence suggests the universe might not behave as expected, raising questions about the costs of being wrong. The post Shifting Forces: The Evolving Debate Around Dark Energy appeared first on SingularityHub.

For generations, humans have gazed at the stars and wondered about the ultimate fate of the universe. Will it expand forever into the cold emptiness, or meet a more dramatic end?

Astronomers once wondered if the Universe might one day collapse in on itself in a Big Crunch, but the discovery of dark energy suggested that the expansion of the Universe would accelerate, removing that possibility. New data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggests that dark energy might be changing in strength over time, maybe even going negative. If that result holds, are we due for a Big Crunch? And how long would it take?

The birth, growth and future of our universe are eternally fascinating.

The universe seems to be spinning, and that could explain what dark energy is and why it's weakening while revealing our place within the multiverse.

Part of the closest star-forming region to us, known as the Chamaeleon Complex, has been illuminated by the light of young stars in this artwork by nature captured by the Dark Energy Camera.

A major space science cooperation project between China and Brazil is entering its last pre-commission stages, with the departure of what will be an Olympic pool-sized telescope from the northern Chinese port of Tianjin on Monday. The main structure of the radio telescope is expected to arrive in the hilly hinterland of Paraíba state on the Brazilian east coast in about two months and will be one of the largest of its kind in Latin America when completed in 2026. The remote location – nearly...

The origin of our sun, and all the planets, comets and asteroids that orbit it, can be traced back to their birthplace inside a massive cloud of cold gas and dust, not unlike the billowing molecular cloud featured in this image. Found within these cool regions of highly condensed interstellar material are stellar nurseries where young stars are emerging from the swirling gaseous plumes. These regions are also home to nebulae that shine bright with the reflected light of newly formed stars.

String theory has long been touted as physicists' best candidate for describing the fundamental nature of the universe, with elementary particles and forces described as vibrations of tiny threads of energy. But in the early 21st century, it was realized that most of the versions of reality described by string theory's equations cannot match up with observations of our own universe.

Results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that dark energy, a mysterious force in the universe, is changing over time. This would completely re-write our understanding of the cosmos - but now other physicists are challenging this view

For a while now, there has been a problematic mystery at the heart of the standard cosmological model. Although all observations support the expanding universe model, observations of the early period of the cosmos give a lower rate of acceleration than more local observations.

For a while now, there has been a problematic mystery at the heart of the standard cosmological model. Although all observations support the expanding Universe model, observations of the early period of the cosmos give a lower rate of acceleration than more local observations. We call it the Hubble tension problem, and we have no idea how to solve it. Naturally, there have been several proposed ideas: what if general relativity is wrong; what if dark matter doesn't exist; what if the rate of time isn't uniform; heck, what if the entire Universe rotates. So, let's add a new idea to the pile: what if dark matter evolves?

The discovery of the cosmic acceleration problem truly inspired me as a teenage physics nerd. Recent, related revelations about dark energy will hopefully capture the interest of today’s young science geeks, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

‘Shocking’ results from a major astronomical study have raised doubts about the standard model of cosmology, forcing scientists to consider new ways of understanding dark energy and gravity

If dark energy is weakening, as suggested by recent results, then the cosmos is far stranger than most physicists had supposed

A new cosmic model suggests that singularities could briefly pop into existence, spewing matter and energy into the cosmos, negating the need for dark energy and dark matter.

A vast galactic survey suggests dark energy may not be constant after all. The post Dark Energy Discovery Could Undermine Our Entire Model of Cosmological History appeared first on SingularityHub.

Dr. Richard Lieu, a physics professor at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has published a paper in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity that proposes a universe built on steps of multiple singularities rather than the Big Bang alone to account for the expansion of the cosmos.

Physicists have proposed a new model of space-time that may provide the 'first observational evidence supporting string theory,' a new preprint suggests.

The great Russian physicist and Nobel laureate Lev Landau once remarked that "cosmologists are often in error, but never in doubt." In studying the history of the universe itself, there is always a chance that we have got it all wrong, but we never let this stand in the way of our inquiries.

Dark energy may have a completely unknown aspect of physics acting as an accomplice in its efforts to defy gravity, suppressing the growth of large-scale structures like galaxy superclusters.

Dark energy is a mystery so daunting that it stretches and strains our most robust theories. The universe is expanding, driven by the unknown force that we've named Dark Energy. Dark Energy is also accelerating the rate of expansion. If scientists could figure out why, it would open up a whole new avenue of understanding.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument used millions of galaxies and quasars to build the largest 3D map of our universe to date. Combining their data with other experiments shows signs that the impact of dark energy may be weakening over time -- and the standard model of how the universe works may need an update.

It’s looking more and more as if dark energy, the mysterious factor that scientists say is behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, isn’t as constant as they once thought. The latest findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, don’t quite yet come up to the level of a confirmed discovery, but they’re leading scientists to rethink their views on the evolution of the universe — and how it might end.

Dark Energy is a mystery so daunting that it stretches and strains our most robust theories. The Universe is expanding, driven by the unknown force that we've named Dark Energy. Dark Energy is also accelerating the rate of expansion. If scientists could figure out why, it would open up a whole new avenue of understanding.

The fate of the universe hinges on the balance between matter and dark energy: the fundamental ingredient that drives its accelerating expansion. New results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration use the largest 3D map of our universe ever made to track dark energy's influence over the past 11 billion years. Researchers see hints that dark energy, widely thought to be a "cosmological constant," might be evolving over time in unexpected ways.

A ground-breaking new finding about dark energy suggests that it is changing over time.

New data suggests the unknown, unobservable force responsible for the universe's expansion may be weakening.

This week both the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration have released massive datasets which are immediately challenging cosmologists’ best theories of the universe. The new studies are available in preprint papers and are being presented at American Physical Society’s Global Physics Summit in California. “What we are seeing is […]

The 3D cosmic map building DESI has provided more clues that dark energy is weakening over time, suggesting our best model of cosmic evolution could be wrong.

The universe has been expanding ever since the Big Bang almost 14 billion years ago, and astronomers believe a kind of invisible force called dark energy is making it accelerate faster.

Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

Dark energy, the mysterious force thought to be driving the ever-faster expansion of the universe, appears to be changing over time, according to new observations released Wednesday.

Dark energy makes up roughly 70% of the universe, yet we know nothing about it.

Our current best theories of the universe suggest that dark energy is making it expand faster and faster, but new observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggest this mysterious force is actually growing weaker

A new map of cosmic expansion suggests that dark energy evolves over time, hinting that the universe doesn’t work the way we thought it did

Latest DESI results fall short of discovery threshold but strengthen evidence for dynamical dark energy.

New data further challenge the best scientific theory of the history and the structure of the universe. But a separate recent result reinforces it.

Findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) suggest that dark energy could be evolving over time. If they're right, cosmology will need a new model.

New data further challenge the best scientific theory of the history and the structure of the universe. But a separate recent result reinforces it.

New research could force a fundamental rethink of the nature of space and time.

An extraordinary new 3D map of the universe has been made available to the public. A team using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and a supercomputer to try to better understand the mysterious phenomenon known as dark energy, created the largest 3D map of the universe as part of this endeavour. And it has […]

The DESI experiment shocked cosmologists with a hint that dark energy varies over time. Now, with more data, the conclusions hold up.

Last year, an enormous map of the cosmos hinted that the engine driving cosmic expansion might be sputtering. Now physicists are back with an even bigger map, and a stronger conclusion. The post Is Dark Energy Getting Weaker? New Evidence Strengthens the Case. first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A new study using the Dark Energy Survey (DES) final datasets suggests potential inconsistencies in the standard cosmological model, known as ΛCDM. If confirmed, these findings could fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe.

The Euclid space telescope has dropped its first data and deep field observations showing millions of galaxies in great detail as it hunts for dark matter and dark energy clues.

Gravitational lensing often evokes images of a cosmic funhouse mirror: duplicated galaxies, dramatic arcs and distorted shapes. But the web-like, large-scale structure throughout the universe also bends light in a weaker, less obvious way. This phenomenon, known as cosmic shear, can provide clues about the role of dark energy in shaping the universe.

The universe is ballooning outward at an ever-faster clip under the power of an unknown force dubbed dark energy. One of the major goals for NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is to help astronomers gather clues to the mystery. One team is setting the stage now to help astronomers prepare for this exciting science.

Rolf Landauer showed that "information is physical" with every bit equivalent to a small amount of energy proportional to temperature. The Landauer equivalent energy of information carried, or represented by matter, effectively provides an information dark energy (IDE). Many objects in the universe, ranging in size from stars to galaxy clusters, have temperatures that vary in relation to the square root of the object mass.

Author(s): M. Gatti et al. (Dark Energy Survey)The paper applies a novel simulation-based cosmological inference methodology to Dark Energy Survey Year-3-based weak-lensing mass maps. Inclusion of nongaussian statistics strongly improves cosmological constraints, establishing consistency with other work with the same and different datasets. [Phys. Rev. D 111, 063504] Published Mon Mar 03, 2025

Astronomers have studied 3,600 supernovas to discover diversity in exploding white dwarf stars, a vital tool in the investigation of dark energy.

Using a revolutionary dark energy camera, astronomers have discovered the largest haul of "missing link" intermediate-mass black holes ever seen, but there should have been more.

Where are all the medium-sized black holes? New data has located the largest collection yet.

New research suggests that dark energy isn't needed to explain the acceleration in the expansion of the universe — instead suggesting giant voids in space are creating an illusion.

Learn about the explosions that often occur at the end of a white dwarf star's life, allowing scientists to study the acceleration of the universe.

MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. We can put a good figure on how much we know about the universe: 5%. That’s how much of what’s floating about in the cosmos is…

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is set to detect millions of exploding vampire stellar remnants called "white dwarfs," shedding light on dark energy.

New research suggests that dark energy isn't needed to explain the acceleration in the expansion of the universe — instead suggesting giant voids in space are creating an illusion.

By looking at light from distant exploding stars called supernovas, in 1998 astronomers discovered the universe isn't just expanding—its expansion is speeding up. But what's behind this acceleration?

Astronomers have captured a breathtaking new image of the Antlia Cluster of galaxies.

NSF NOIRLab rings in the New Year with a glittering galaxyscape captured with the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. This ultra-deep view of the Antlia Cluster reveals a spectacular array of galaxy types among the hundreds that make up its population.

Dark energy is central to the standard model of cosmology, but the Timescape model suggests dark matter doesn't exist. The post New Study of Supernovae Data Suggests That Dark Energy is an Illusion appeared first on Universe Today.

A map of 31 million galaxies created by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument will be released next year, and could shed light on the origins of this mysterious force

Cosmologists have long wondered whether dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe is an illusion. Now the evidence backing this idea is mounting.

2024 was a big year for the study of the universe's most troubling and mysterious "ingredient," dark energy. Here's what scientists found.

Learn how the existence of dark energy is being challenged due to new evidence that the expanding universe is actually "lumpy".

One of the biggest mysteries in science -- dark energy -- doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the Universe is expanding. For the past 100 years, physicists have generally assumed that the cosmos is growing equally in all directions. They employed the concept of dark energy as a placeholder to explain unknown physics they couldn't understand, but the contentious theory has always had its problems. Now a team of physicists and astronomers are challenging the status quo, using improved analysis of supernovae light curves to show that the Universe is expanding in a more varied, 'lumpier' way.

One of the biggest mysteries in science—dark energy—doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the universe is expanding.

The striking Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is one of the brightest barred spiral galaxies in the sky.

Messier 83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, is one of the most prominent spiral galaxies in the night sky. It's named for its resemblance to the Pinwheel galaxy and spans around 50,000 light-years, making it much smaller than the Milky Way galaxy, although it has a higher rate of star formation, as evidenced by the striking bursts of pink throughout its spiral arms. This display of intense starburst activity likely results from a past merger with another galaxy.

Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought.

The strength of dark energy in our universe is not optimized for forming stars, which means other universes might have a greater likelihood of producing life.

The DESI project previously reported that dark energy — long thought to be constant — changes over time. A new analysis reaffirms that claim.

The first year of data from the 5,000 robotic eyes of DESI shows Einstein's theory of general relativity is the right recipe for gravity despite the challenges of dark energy and dark matter.

In 1961, US radio astronomer Frank Drake came up with an equation for estimating the number of intelligent civilisations in the galaxy. Called the Drake Equation, the formula combines a variety of different numbers – such as the fraction of stars with planets, and the time a civilisation would need to develop space-signalling technology – […]

This week, researchers reported the world's second-tiniest toad, winning the silver in the Brachycephalus contest. Chemists at UCLA disproved a 100-year-old organic chemistry rule. And researchers in Kenya report that elephants don't like bees, which could be a conservation boon (for the elephants. And maybe also the bees?). Additionally, scientists addressed an old thought experiment about monkeys and the theater, physicists correlated dark energy with the black hole population in the universe, and a group of Antarctic seals were found to be highly strategic and also adorable:

Black hole formation could be a little Big Bang in reverse, coupling the matter of a dying star with dark energy, the mysterious force driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.

The discovery of the accelerated expansion of the Universe has often been attributed to the force known as dark energy. An intriguing new theory was put forward last year to explain this mysterious force; black holes could be the cause of dark energy! The theory goes on to suggest as more black holes form in … Continue reading "The Connection Between Black Holes and Dark Energy is Getting Stronger" The post The Connection Between Black Holes and Dark Energy is Getting Stronger appeared first on Universe Today.

On a mountain in northern Chile, scientists are carefully assembling the intricate components of the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, one of the most advanced astronomical facilities in history. Equipped with an innovative telescope and the world's largest digital camera, the observatory will soon begin the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Most of the universe still isn’t accounted for – the solution might be in black holes. Ordinary matter makes up only about 5% of the universe. This includes everything we can see and interact with, from stars and planets to dust, gas and you. About 25% of the universe is made up of dark matter. […]

Almost 14 billion years ago, at the very beginning of the Big Bang, a mysterious energy drove an exponential expansion of the infant universe and produced all known matter, according to the prevailing inflationary universe theory.

What works to improve health equity? And it might be time to end the leap second

Estimates of how fast the universe is expanding disagree. Could a new form of dark energy resolve the problem?

,As I finished my Ph.D. 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 these basic facts since the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the afterglow of the Big Bang, in the 1960s.

In 1998, scientists discovered that our universe expands with acceleration, and in order to explain this effect, the concept of dark matter was introduced. This is a special type of energy that fills up all of existing space-time but is impossible to detect by direct methods.

How is the expansion of our universe expanding? Expert Paul Sutter breaks down dark energy and the idea behind baby universes.

The Hubble tension, a longstanding problem in cosmology, could potentially be relieved if early dark energy is taken into account.