Latest news with #cosmic
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A spinning universe could crack the mysteries of dark energy and our place in the multiverse
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What is dark energy? Why does dark energy seem to be weakening? Is our universe part of a larger multiverse? What lies beyond the boundary of a black hole?The universe seems to be rotating, and if that is the case, then this could have major ramifications for some of the biggest questions in science, including those above. That's according to Polish theoretical physicist Nikodem Poplawski of the University of New Haven, who is well-known for his theory that black holes act as doorways to other universes. "Dark energy is one of the most intriguing mysteries of the universe. Many researchers have tried to explain it by modifying equations of general relativity or suggesting the existence of new fields that could accelerate the universe's expansion," Poplawski told "It would be amazing if a simple rotation of the universe was the origin of dark energy, especially that it predicts its weakening." Evidence that the universe is rotating was recently delivered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which found that two-thirds of galaxies are rotating in the same direction. This suggests a lack of randomness and a preferred direction for cosmic rotation. Additionally, Poplawski pointed out that other astronomical data seem to show that the angle between the most likely axis of the spinning galaxies and the axis of the bulk flow of nearby galaxy clusters is 98 degrees, meaning they are nearly perpendicular in relation to each other. That is something that is in accordance with the hypothesis that the universe is rotating. To understand why a rotating universe implies more than one universe, Poplawski refers to "frames of reference." These are sets of coordinate systems that are integral to physics, which allow motion and rest to be measured. Imagine two scientists, Terra and Stella. Each is in their own frame of reference, but Terra on Earth, Stella in a spacecraft traveling past our planet. Terra sees Stella's frame of reference (the spacecraft) moving in relation to her own (the Earth), which is at rest. Stella, meanwhile, sees her frame of reference at rest while it is Terra's frame of reference in motion as the Earth races pointed out that if the universe is rotating, then its frame of reference is rotating, and that only makes sense if it is rotating in relation to at least one other frame of reference. "If the universe is rotating, it must rotate relative to some frame of reference corresponding to something bigger," he continued. "Therefore, the universe is not the only one; it is a part of a multiverse." For Poplawski, the simplest and most natural explanation of the origin of the rotation of the universe is black hole cosmology. Black hole cosmology suggests that every black hole creates a new baby universe on the other side of its event horizon, the one-way light-trapping surface that defines the outer boundary of a black hole. The theory replaces the central singularity at the heart of a black hole with "spacetime torsion" that gives rise to repulsive gravity that kick-starts the expansion of a new universe. "Because all black holes form from rotating objects, such as rotating stars or in the centers of rotating galaxies, they rotate too," Poplawski said. "The universe born in a rotating black hole inherits the axis of rotation of the black hole as its preferred axis." In other words, our universe may be spinning in a preferred direction because that is the way that the black hole it is sealed within is spinning. "A black hole becomes an Einstein-Rosen bridge or a 'wormhole' from the parent universe to the baby universe," Poplawski explained. "Observers in the new universe would see the other side of the parent black hole as a primordial white hole." In lieu of discovering a primordial white hole in our universe leading to our parent black hole and progenitor universe, the strongest evidence of this black hole cosmology is a preferred direction or "rotational asymmetry" in our universe. That can be seen in rotational asymmetry in the galaxies. "The motion of individual galaxies in that baby universe will be affected by the rotation of that universe," Poplawski said. "The galaxies will tend to align their axes of rotation with the preferred axis of the rotation of the universe, resulting in the rotation asymmetry, which can be observed."That's something astronomers are starting to course, that means that every black hole in our universe is a doorway to another baby cosmos. These infant universes are protected from investigation by the event horizon of their parent black holes, which prevents any signal from being received from the interior of a black a trip through this cosmic doorway would be impossible for a budding "multinaut" due to the immense gravity surrounding a black hole, which would give rise to tidal forces that would "spaghettify" such an intrepid explorer. Even if such a multinaut were to survive the journey, just as nothing can escape a black hole, nothing can enter a white hole, meaning there would be no return or opportunity to file a report! Even grimmer than this, there's no guarantee that the laws of physics are the same in a baby universe as their parent universe, meaning an unpredictable fate and potentially a messy death for a hardy multinaut able to brave a black hole doorway. Anyway, before we rush off to explore other universes, there are mysteries to be investigated right here in our own universe. At the forefront of these is the mysterious force of dark energy. Dark energy is a placeholder name given to whatever force is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate. Dark energy currently dominates the universe, accounting for 68% of the total cosmic matter-energy budget. This wasn't always the way, the universe's earliest epoch, it was dominated by the energy of the Big Bang, causing it to inflate. As the universe entered a matter-dominated epoch ruled by gravity, this inflation slowed to a near stop. This should have been it for the cosmos, but around 9 billion to 10 billion years after the Big Bang, the universe started to expand again, with this expansion accelerating, leading to the dark-energy dominated epoch. To understand why this is such a worrying puzzle, imagine giving a child on a swing a single push, watching their motion come to a halt, and then, for no discernible reason, they start swinging again, and this motion gets faster and faster. As if dark energy weren't strange enough already, recent results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) have indicated that this mysterious force is weakening. This is something that seemingly defies the standard model of cosmology or the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model, which relies on dark energy (represented by the cosmological constant or Lambda) being Poplawski theorizes that a spinning universe can both account for dark energy and explain why it is weakening. "Dark energy would emerge from the centrifugal force in the rotating universe on large scales," the theoretical physicist explained. "If the universe were flat, the centrifugal force would act only in directions perpendicular to the preferred axis." However, in Poplawski's black hole theory of cosmology, because the universe created by a black hole is closed, moving away in any direction would eventually lead to coming back from the opposite direction. That would mean the centrifugal force arising from a spinning universe becomes a force acting in all directions away from the universe's parent primordial white hole. "The magnitude of this force is proportional to the square of the angular velocity of the universe and the distance from the white hole," Poplawski said. "This relation takes the form of the force acting on a galaxy due to dark energy, which is proportional to the cosmological constant and the distance from the white hole. Therefore, the cosmological constant is proportional to the square of the angular velocity of the universe."But, how could this explain the DESI observations that seem to indicate that dark energy is getting weaker? "Because the angular momentum of the universe is conserved, it decreases as the universe expands," Poplawski said. "Consequently, the cosmological constant, which is the simplest explanation of dark energy, should also decrease with time. This result is consistent with recent observations by DESI." Related Stories: — Supermassive black holes in 'little red dot' galaxies are 1,000 times larger than they should be, and astronomers don't know why — 'Superhighways' connecting the cosmic web could unlock secrets about dark matter — How does the Cosmic Web connect Taylor Swift and the last line of your 'celestial address?'years To provide some further evidence of Poplawski's concept, more data on the bulk flow of galaxy clusters and on the asymmetry of galaxy rotation axes are needed. This would help further confirm that our universe is rotating. Additionally, more data regarding how dark energy depends on cosmic distances and the progression of time in our 13.7 billion-year-old cosmos could help validate whether the weakening of dark energy is related to the decreasing angular velocity of the universe. "The next step to advance these ideas is to determine the equation describing how the cosmological constant, generated by the angular velocity of the universe, decreases with time, and to compare this theoretical prediction with the observed decrease of dark energy," Poplawski concluded. "This research might involve searching for the metric describing an expanding and rotating universe."A pre-peer-reviewed version of Poplawski's research appears on the paper repository site arXiv.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
They Found Something Strange Under Antarctic Ice, But No One Has Seen Anything Like It Since
An international team of researchers using a high-flying balloon experiment known as ANITA (Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna) has been stumped by a series of strange and unexplained radio signals that seemingly came from miles beneath the ice. The ANITA experiment's primary goal was to track neutrinos - tiny particles that travel through Earth's atmosphere after extreme cosmic events like exploding stars. Neutrinos have almost no mass and rarely interact with anything, which makes them hard to detect but packed with valuable information about space. The signals usually follow predictable paths—just like a ball bouncing off the ground. But some of the strange signals ANITA picked up didn't follow those paths. They came in at much sharper angles as if they were rising from deep underground. The problem? To get to ANITA from below the Antarctic ice, any particle would have to travel through thousands of miles of solid rock. Experts say that kind of journey should have stopped the signal cold. But it didn't. To dig deeper, researchers recently reviewed 15 years' worth of data from other major observatories, including IceCube in Antarctica and the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. These instruments are designed to detect similar signals, but none recorded anything that matches what ANITA found. This lack of confirmation makes the original detection even more baffling. If the signal were caused by a known type of particle, scientists expected it would have shown up in other detectors by now. Instead, ANITA's discovery remains a one-of-a-kind mystery. Some researchers think these strange signals might be signs of particles we haven't discovered yet. Others wonder if they could be hints of dark matter, an invisible substance that may make up much of the universe but has never been detected before. Some fans of the discovery have gone on to suggest the waves are signs of alien life. But without more data, no one can say for sure. To get closer to the truth, scientists are now working on a new and more advanced version of ANITA. It's called PUEO, and it will be bigger, better, and hopefully capable of catching more of these mysterious signals. The hope is that PUEO will help unravel all of these new clues. Until then, the mystery remains (potentially) buried in the ice, waiting to be solved. lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities. MORE ON New Map Reveals Hidden World Beneath Antarctica's Ice Melting Ice Uncovers Hidden Cold War Base In Greenland Did Prehistoric Sunscreen Save Some Cavemen?
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Your daily horoscope: June 30, 2025
Don't let other people's limited outlook hold you back from exploring new ways of interacting with the world this year. The more they say certain things cannot or should not be done the more you must make it your business to do them! If what occurs today takes you by surprise then it's your fault for not having been more observant of what's going on in the world. The good news is you will get over your shock quickly and find ways to profit from the new situation. You may be set in your ways but with changes planet Uranus strong in your chart you can and you must be ready to adapt to events that are moving things along faster than anyone expected. Those who can't keep up will get left behind. The best way to get what you want today and over the next few days is to make sure that partners and colleagues get what they want as well. It's not an either-or situation and one person does not have to lose so another can win. Remember that. With so much cosmic activity in your favour you need only visualize what it is you desire to have it come into your life. But you also need to be careful. You may want it now but later on it could become a millstone around your neck. Do you give in to temptation and do something that others say could be bad for you? Of course you do. You are not the sort to fear the consequences of your actions and you have a sneaking suspicion that this particular gamble is going to pay off. Someone you meet socially will challenge you to think again about some of your opinions and beliefs. It may or may not change the way you look at the world but it will remind you that there are other ways of perceiving reality. Take care that your feelings don't get the better of you this weekend. It may be the case that some kind of injustice enrages you but getting emotional about it won't change a thing. Stay calm and come up with practical solutions that make a difference. You rarely change your opinions once they are formed but with both the sun and Jupiter moving through the most philosophical area of your chart you may be inclined to think again about a serious matter. Don't be afraid to admit you got it wrong. The more you worry about your financial situation the worse it will seem to get, so forget about money for a while and focus on a creative activity that, with a bit of effort, could bring huge returns. Then make that effort and make some serious cash. Relationships are under excellent stars now and if you open up when meeting people you could make some splendid new friendships. You may even discover that someone you have admired from afar has been sneaking glances in your direction too. There can be no more pretending that everything in the garden is rosy and you can let things carry on as they are. Changes are coming whether or not you want them to, so be truthful with yourself about the adjustments you will need to make. You may have plenty to smile about but someone you are close to emotionally does not seem to be enjoying life so much. Find out why their mood is so somber and then come up with activities that will get them loving life again. Discover more about yourself at
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Your lookahead horoscope: June 15, 2025
Challenges will come thick and fast over the coming year but don't complain. What is happening is that the universe wants you to understand that you are capable of so much more. Giving anything less than 100 per cent is not good enough. Take care not to bruise any egos as the new week begins, because the very last thing you need now is to create enemies. Accept that some people can be surprisingly thin-skinned and tone down your tendency to ridicule them. As Mars moves into the most dynamic area of your chart over the next few days you will be brimming with energy and confidence. That's great, but don't come on too strong and scare away people who should be your closest partners and allies. The message of the stars for the coming week is that if you fear the worst you will make the worst more likely to happen. Your mind is a powerful tool and, depending on where you choose to direct it, can bring either pleasure or pain. At some point this week you will realize that life is unfolding according to a plan of universal significance. It doesn't have to be a mystical realization but it will bring a sense of assurance that you are and always will be in safe cosmic hands. It will become apparent over the next few days that someone you have been working alongside for several months no longer shares your vision or your goals. Clearly a break is needed and with Mars leaving your sign it won't be difficult to make. You are in no mood to be messed about and anyone who tries to give you the runaround this week will soon be running away from you in fright! With Mars moving through your sign from Tuesday onward you will fear nothing and no one. If something doesn't feel right over the next few days you must stop what you are working on and do your utmost to find out what it is. The very last thing you need is a feeling of impending doom hanging over your every move. You will need to be ruthlessly honest over the coming week, not only with other people but with yourself as well. You won't get to the root of a problem if you gloss over it or try to pretend there isn't really a problem at all. Mars moves into the career area of your chart this week, which will bring both challenges and opportunities. Without a doubt the two are intimately linked and every challenge you face with courage and confidence will bring good fortune. You may be serious by nature but over the next few days you will be a lot less inclined to get uptight about events that would previously have annoyed or alarmed you. Remind yourself often that life is supposed to be fun – and it will be. Is life a series of random events or is there some sort of design behind it all? Even with your scientific mindset you will find it easy to believe that your existence has meaning. Now all you have to do is work out what it is! The more others press you to take on more commitments the louder you must say 'No'. With Mars moving into the partnership area of your chart this week even friends and family members will encourage you to work harder – for their benefit too of course. Discover more about yourself at
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
3 Zodiac Signs End May 2025 on a Lucky Note
The final days of May 2025 are upon us! During these final days of May 2025, which zodiac signs will find unexpected blessings, luck, or relief? Expert astrologers weigh in, giving you pro insights. Check if your Sun, Moon, or Rising signs are listed. On May 26, 2025, a captivating new moon in Gemini illuminates our sky, presenting a remarkable opportunity for a fresh emotional reset in our social lives, perspectives, and intellectual pursuits. This celestial event, positioned in your sign, opens the door to a world of endless possibilities. As you take this moment to recenter yourself, embrace the potential for profound growth, expansion, and enhanced self-awareness. Your own agency is the key to your liberation, so dare to envision a future filled with bigger dreams and brighter aspirations—while also committing to take practical steps toward making those dreams a reality. The energizing influence of this lunation will resonate throughout the end of May, empowering Gemini to shine with newfound confidence and charisma. On May 30, 2025, a powerful cosmic event unfolds as the Sun aligns with Mercury in Gemini, creating what is known as a Mercury cazimi. This celestial conjunction shines a spotlight on our consciousness, inviting us to embark on an exciting journey of exploration. We are encouraged to seek out innovative paths, uncover fresh solutions, and embrace new perspectives. With this dynamic alignment occurring in your relationship sector, you can anticipate significant breakthroughs in your social, romantic, and professional interactions. This is an ideal time to foster connections and strengthen bonds with those around you. Rather than feeling isolated in your challenges, you will find ample opportunities to collaborate and discover shared goals as a united team. Embrace this moment of cosmic clarity and connection—it could lead to transformative experiences in your relationships. As May draws to a close on the 26th, the enchanting new moon in Gemini heralds a vibrant season of professional growth. This Spring brings forth a flourishing work life filled with fresh opportunities and exciting developments. Expect dynamic partnerships to emerge, along with promising contracts and sales that align in your favor. Your entrepreneurial spirit will ignite with passion and determination, propelling you to seize the moment. Embrace the spotlight—clearly articulate your needs, aspirations, and skills, as you carve a pathway to undeniable success ahead. 3 Zodiac Signs End May 2025 on a Lucky Note first appeared on Parade on May 26, 2025
