Is the Universe 27 Billion years old?

[Dutch Uncle]

New research indicates it could be and that would change how physics views the Universe including light and dark matter:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-age-universe-billion-years-previously.html
New research puts age of universe at 26.7 billion years, nearly twice as old as previously believed

Our universe could be twice as old as current estimates, according to a new study that challenges the dominant cosmological model and sheds new light on the so-called "impossible early galaxy problem."

The work is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"Our newly-devised model stretches the galaxy formation time by a several billion years, making the universe 26.7 billion years old, and not 13.7 as previously estimated," says author Rajendra Gupta, adjunct professor of physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa.

For years, astronomers and physicists have calculated the age of our universe by measuring the time elapsed since the Big Bang and by studying the oldest stars based on the redshift of light coming from distant galaxies. In 2021, thanks to new techniques and advances in technology, the age of our universe was thus estimated at 13.797 billion years using the Lambda-CDM concordance model.

However, many scientists have been puzzled by the existence of stars like the Methuselah that appear to be older than the estimated age of our universe and by the discovery of early galaxies in an advanced state of evolution made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope. These galaxies, existing a mere 300 million years or so after the Big Bang, appear to have a level of maturity and mass typically associated with billions of years of cosmic evolution. Furthermore, they're surprisingly small in size, adding another layer of mystery to the equation.

Zwicky's tired light theory proposes that the redshift of light from distant galaxies is due to the gradual loss of energy by photons over vast cosmic distances. However, it was seen to conflict with observations. Yet Gupta found that "by allowing this theory to coexist with the expanding universe, it becomes possible to reinterpret the redshift as a hybrid phenomenon, rather than purely due to expansion."...

 

[NiftyNiblick]

It precedes me by a bit,
and has at least a 50/50 chance of succeeding me as well.

Until I need to know more than that,
I'll leave it to you folks to sort it all out.

 

[Cypress]

New research indicates it could be and that would change how physics views the Universe including light and dark matter:

https://phys.org/news/2023-07-age-universe-billion-years-previously.html
New research puts age of universe at 26.7 billion years, nearly twice as old as previously believed

A bold prediction.

These kind of stories grab headlines in the media, but whether they hold up under further scrutiny and corroboration is another story. Frequently they don't.

But still yet, it's always important for scientists to be free to speculate and propose bold ideas.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

A bold prediction.

These kind of stories grab headlines in the media, but whether they hold up under further scrutiny and corroboration is another story. Frequently they don't.

But still yet, it's always important for scientists to be free to speculate and propose bold ideas.

It's a theory backed by facts, but not proven. It also goes well above my education level.

That said, if proved true, how does that change the thinking about the nature of natural law and physics?

 

[Cypress]

It's a theory backed by facts, but not proven. It also goes well above my education level.

That said, if proved true, how does that change the thinking about the nature of natural law and physics?

It has to be confirmed and corroborated by other research teams. Claims this bold from a researcher at University of Ottawa is not going be be widely accepted on it's own.

I guess it explains the seemingly early formation of mature galaxies. Without more reading, I'm not sure how it explains away dark matter, because the angular rotational momentum of galaxies are still inexplicable without DM. On the other hand, a less dense universe might render the gravitational effect of DM as a whole irrelevant.

This hypothesis certainly doesn't explain away dark energy, because the accelerating expansion of the universe is observationally confirmed no matter the age of of the observable universe

 

[Poor Richard Saunders]

It has to be confirmed and corroborated by other research teams. Claims this bold from a researcher at University of Ottawa is not going be be widely accepted on it's own.

I guess it explains the seemingly early formation of mature galaxies. Without more reading, I'm not sure how it explains away dark matter, because the angular rotational momentum of galaxies are still inexplicable without DM. On the other hand, a less dense universe might render the gravitational effect of DM as a whole irrelevant.

This hypothesis certainly doesn't explain away dark energy, because the accelerating expansion of the universe is observationally confirmed no matter the age of of the observable universe

It's not that bold. The 13.7 billion age was only calculated in 2021 so calculating at 26 billion isn't some radical change to long accepted work.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

It has to be confirmed and corroborated by other research teams. Claims this bold from a researcher at University of Ottawa is not going be be widely accepted on it's own.

I guess it explains the seemingly early formation of mature galaxies. Without more reading, I'm not sure how it explains away dark matter, because the angular rotational momentum of galaxies are still inexplicable without DM. On the other hand, a less dense universe might render the gravitational effect of DM as a whole irrelevant.

This hypothesis certainly doesn't explain away dark energy, because the accelerating expansion of the universe is observationally confirmed no matter the age of of the observable universe

Agreed. Still, it's an interesting theory since it seems to answer questions that the Webb telescope has raised such as the small galaxies seen at great distances.

 

[goat]

Agreed. Still, it's an interesting theory since it seems to answer questions that the Webb telescope has raised such as the small galaxies seen at great distances.

Looks like Dutch is learning how science works. Next telescope will date the universe at 50 billion years old.

 

[Cypress]

It's not that bold. The 13.7 billion age was only calculated in 2021 so calculating at 26 billion isn't some radical change to long accepted work.

13.7 billion years was fine tuning around an already widely accepted ballpark guesstimate. It's been known since I was college that the universe was around 15 billion years old,,, plus or minus a few billion

 

[Cypress]

Agreed. Still, it's an interesting theory since it seems to answer questions that the Webb telescope has raised such as the small galaxies seen at great distances.

Agreed. What we think we know about astronomy now is undoubtedly going to change in years to come. You need scientists who make good faith efforts to explore new ideas, because science doesn't know everything, and even what it thinks it knows tends to be provisional.

 

[Damocles]

IMHO it's more likely the "dark matter theory" and resolves the dark matter issue.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Agreed. What we think we know about astronomy now is undoubtedly going to change in years to come. You need scientists who make good faith efforts to explore new ideas, because science doesn't know everything, and even what it thinks it knows tends to be provisional.

Agreed. As Damo just mentioned, this theory helps explain the dark matter issue. As you and I have discussed before, the Universe is logical and should make sense. If it's not, then we are not understanding it correctly.

IMHO it's more likely the "dark matter theory" and resolves the dark matter issue.

 

[Poor Richard Saunders]

13.7 billion years was fine tuning around an already widely accepted ballpark guesstimate. It's been known since I was college that the universe was around 15 billion years old,,, plus or minus a few billion

Science always relies on guesses!!!

The problem is that the guess is based on the farthest away galaxies we can see. (that we can see.) As science finds more information they adjust their conclusions. No conclusion is set in stone.

 

[Cypress]

Science always relies on guesses!!!

The problem is that the guess is based on the farthest away galaxies we can see. (that we can see.) As science finds more information they adjust their conclusions. No conclusion is set in stone.

You're right.

We didn't have a decent estimate of the Hubble constant until the 1990s, and that prevented us from having a good estimate of the rate of expansion and age of the observable universe.

 

[Cypress]

Agreed. As Damo just mentioned, this theory helps explain the dark matter issue. As you and I have discussed before, the Universe is logical and should make sense. If it's not, then we are not understanding it correctly.

I guess this guy thinks dark matter can be swept under the rug because he hypothesizes the universal law of gravity is not constant.

From what I have read, this guy's hypothesis requires that the universal constants aren't actually constant, that the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and Plank's constant are not actually universal constants but vary in time and space.

That is a pretty radical assumption.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I guess this guy thinks dark matter can be swept under the rug because he hypothesizes the universal law of gravity is not constant.

From what I have read, this guy's hypothesis requires that the universal constants aren't actually constant, that the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and Plank's constant are not actually universal constants but vary in time and space.

That is a pretty radical assumption.

Again, this is above my education level but I accept your assessment. From what little I know, he's altering the current thoughts about light constants to balance out the mysteries.

Since the true nature of dark matter and dark energy remain unknowns, then any theory that explains them logically is in play.

 

[Nomad]

Flying saucers.