dark energy

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Fate of the Universe May Be Far Different Than Predicted

Researchers say dark energy may be ebbing, raising possibility of a 'Big Crunch'

(Newser) - Cosmologists say new findings about a mysterious force called dark energy have upended their predictions about the eventual fate of the universe. For decades, researchers believed that the force powering the expansion of the universe was a "cosmological constant" that did not change over time, Nature reports. Scientists with...

This Is Actually a Map —the Biggest One Ever
This Is Actually a Map
—the Biggest One Ever
new study

This Is Actually a Map —the Biggest One Ever

This view of the universe also looks incredible

(Newser) - Want to get away? Now you can see how far "away" really is. Drawing on 20 years of research, scientists have created a 3D map of the universe that spans 11 billion years and covers more than 2 million quasars and galaxies—while shedding light on a couple of...

Giant Camera Will Seek Out Dark Energy

570 megapixel camera can see 7 billion years into past

(Newser) - So you think the 5.0 megapixel camera on your iPhone is pretty cool? Try 570 megapixels. That's the resolution on a new Dark Energy Camera being built by Fermilab just outside of Chicago, reports NPR . Comprised of 74 lenses up to three feet across, the Dark Energy Camera...

Universe's Fate: Cold, Dead Wasteland

Amount of dark energy suggests it will expand forever

(Newser) - Scientists say they've learned "exactly what the fate of the universe will be," and it doesn't sound pleasant. A team led by a NASA astronomer predicts the universe will continue to expand forever and eventually will become a cold, dead wasteland, the BBC reports. How did they arrive...

'Big Wave' Theory Challenges 'Dark Energy'

(Newser) - The 'Big Wave,' a new explanation for the universe's mysterious accelerating expansion, is sending ripples through the world of astronomy. According to the theory, the Big Bang set off a wave, or waves, that rippled outward through space-time, making distant galaxies appear to expand away from us. Mathematicians came...

Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible
 Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible

Experts: Warp Drive Is Possible

Physicists theorize warping space could allow faster-than-light travel

(Newser) - Two physicists believe the fictional "warp drive" of Star Trek fame could someday become a reality, the Daily Telegraph reports. The scientists theorize that a mysterious cosmic force called dark energy could be harnessed to warp space around a vessel, allowing a spacecraft to travel faster than light—"...

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