Cosmologists might be closer to cracking a major cosmic conundrum. A new quantum twist on gravity to a prominent theory of gravity that could explain a puzzling inconsistency in measurements of the universe’s expansion rate.
For decades, scientists have relied on two main methods to measure how fast the universe is inflating. One method uses observations of distant galaxies, while the other analyzes the cosmic microwave background, a leftover echo from the Big Bang. Here’s the rub: these methods consistently produce different values for the expansion rate, a discrepancy known as the Hubble tension.
This new study proposes incorporating quantum effects into a key theory used to calculate the expansion rate based on galaxy observations. Essentially, they’re suggesting a quantum twist on gravity might be the missing piece in the puzzle.
The researchers believe this new approach could reconcile the conflicting measurements and shed light on the universe’s expansion history.
