Dark energy, a mysterious force driving the universe’s expansion, may be weakening, according to recent survey results from the Desi team at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
The findings suggest that dark energy reached its peak billions of years ago and is now about 10% weaker. This would mean the rate of expansion is still accelerating, but at a gentler pace.
If confirmed, these results could overthrow scientists’ current understanding of the universe’s fate, potentially leading to a “big crunch” scenario where the universe reverses its expansion in a reverse big bang event.
The discovery challenges the widely accepted theoretical model of the universe, which assumes dark energy to be constant and would lead to the “big freeze” of a desolate universe. However, this new data suggests that dark energy’s strength is decreasing, leaving scientists with more questions than answers.
Researchers are excited about the implications of these findings, but also acknowledge that they do not yet provide conclusive evidence for evolving dark energy. The Desi team’s results will be reviewed and verified as more data becomes available, potentially leading to a new understanding of this enigmatic force and its role in shaping the universe’s fate.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/19/dark-energy-mysterious-cosmic-force-weakening-universe-expansion