The Big Squeeze: Why Dark Energy Is Taking a Break and the Universe Is Worried About Its Retirement Plan
STONY BROOK, N.Y. — A mysterious force that has been pushing the cosmos apart for 13.8 billion years is taking an extended lunch break, and cosmologists are worried about the consequences.
According to new research published in the Astrophysical Journal, dark energy — the invisible hand that has been accelerating the expansion of the universe — appears to be weakening. Or, as lead researcher Dr. Elena Vasquez put it during a press conference held in a sterile white room with no windows: “It’s like your phone battery that used to last all day, but now you’re surprised to find it only has 3% left. We didn’t see that coming until Tuesday.”