A team of physicists has discovered a discrepancy between the predicted curvature of space-time according to Albert Einstein’s general relativity theory and the observed values using data from the Dark Energy Survey. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that while the predictions match well for epochs 6 and 7 billion years ago, they deviate slightly from observations at more recent times.
Researchers used the Dark Energy Survey data to directly measure the distortion of time and space caused by gravity wells. They compared their findings with Einstein’s predictions, which were made over 100 years ago. The team found that the predicted curvature aligns well with the measurements for epochs in the distant past but does not match up as closely at more recent times.
The discrepancy is small, but it could have important implications for our understanding of the universe. It may suggest a link between dark energy and the slow growth of gravity wells during the same epoch. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine whether Einstein’s theory remains valid in the present day.
While the study found an incompatibility with Einstein’s predictions, it is not large enough to invalidate the theory at this stage. The team plans to conduct further investigations to refine their measurements and confirm or refute their initial results.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/physicists-just-found-quirk-einsteins-220015156.html