deny ignorance.

 

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Dark Energy getting weaker?
#1
Here' the thing... I know that the current 'place holder' for aspects of science that we can't directly sense of measure, scientists chose to use the word "dark" (as in "dark matter" or "dark energy.")  I know that it is a matter of conceptualizing 'something' that we can't do more than 'deduce' must exist.

Scientist journalism, every plagued with the same 'social' baggage as anything else these days, has made a camp of "proclaimers' who state with their own 'brand' of scientific authenticity that which represent their 'favorite' theory.  They cluster and they speak of their perceptions, and we - information consumers - bereft of scientific backgrounds simply "must" pick a theory to echo.

Recently, the explosion of information provided us by several initiatives and hardware caused some initial 'confusion' ... not in what science understood, had measured, and was used in the press as "science for the masses" became harder (if not impossible) to "sell" convincingly... it could no longer be marketed as a "consensus."

Remember the James Webb Space Telescope, and how the data being gathered made for numerous different YouTube headlines?  In them, you could see 'surprise' and 'shock' about our potential misunderstanding about the actual age of the universe, how and why it expands, how things aren't "adding up" as their theory would have suggested...  All manner of apologetic reaction occurred in the media... most of which were about 'public misunderstanding,' or 'incapacity' to understand. Few touched upon the reality that scientists don't know every goddamn thing; Scientists often state their "guesses" and proceed to speak of them elaborately in a narrative of certainties - creating widespread misinterpretation.

Well... here's another "Dark" component of the newly described reality that is not conforming with the way they thought to design their take on the nature of the universe.

From Ars Technica: Dark energy might not be constant after all
From Berkley Lab: First Results from DESI Make the Most Precise Measurement of Our Expanding Universe
From New Scientist: There are hints that dark energy may be getting weaker

In all of these new measurements of the universe's supposed "dark energy" have proved to be inconsistent, or at least that we have proved that we are 'measuring it wrong' or not correctly putting those measurements all together.

The detail is kind of unalluring to describe, but the upshot of science it the end product.  As it turns out, presumed "dark" matter or energy has proven that deduction is not the ultimate tool to answer the riddles of the unknown.

There is a way that some visualize the structure of the universe which explains largely these ideas.  

Imagine a floating ball of froth.  All matter coalesces in the seams which separate the bubbles of the froth.  All the matter we can perceive, that is - since "dark matter" is there as well, we just can't "see" it.  The matter we can see is expanding (presumably along with the froth,) that is to mean, moving generally away from a central point.  However logical this might seem, mathematically proving it eludes them, scientist must model what they measure - but they can't measure what they can't directly detect.

That's the way the universe is apparently.  And it's expanding... a 'scientific' certainty.

[Image: Newscenter_Featured_1025x685px_DESI_slice_zoom.jpg]

They have created a technique to graphically visualize the expansion over time.  The math must be impressive, but if the mechanics are correct "more" weirdness surfaces.  The determine what are called "Baryon Acoustic Oscillations" within the measurable event and are left wondering if "dark energy" is actually weakening... 

The cliff notes of this are almost impossible for me to digest (not a scientist) but just for some ideas....

[Image: Side1_Hubble-Diagram_890x665px.jpg]

[Image: Side2_Hubble-Diagram_890x665px.jpg]

Thanks for reading!
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#2
You may have come across the paper suggesting the universe to be around 27 billion years old and dark energy/matter not necessary in the universe with energy radiation decreasing over time and large distances.
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