kharealumnicaltechedu article nytimescom sent kharealumnicaltechedu im sure end universe theyll still find douglas adams calmly munching away mooburger prospect expansion rapid night sky empties galaxies simply outside light cone really chilling puts comm latency whole new perspective future processors go fast network least tcp segments would arrive rarely would seem inscrutable commandments heavens rohit kharealumnicaltechedu beginning july 23 2002 dennis overbye always easy make fun cosmologists confined dust mote lost space pronouncing judgment fate universe behavior galaxies billions lightyears away scraps light evidence cosmologists often wrong russian physicist lev landau put never doubt 20th century cosmology seemed less science religious war say whether universe beginning fiery big bang billions years ago whether exists eternally socalled steady state last years however funny thing happened cosmologists beginning agree one another blessed new instruments like hubble space telescope spacebased observatories new generation giant cousins ground everfaster computer networks cosmology entering golden age data finally outrunning speculation rate learning discovering new things extraordinary said dr charles bennett astronomer goddard space flight center greenbelt md result cosmologists beginning converge call standard model universe towering ambition purports trace least broad strokes cosmic history millisecond time began universe boiling stew energy subatomic particles formation atoms stars galaxies planets vast dilute dark future died universe cosmologists say born 14 billion years ago big bang material remains resides huge clouds invisible socalled dark matter perhaps elementary particles left primordial explosion yet identified within invisible clouds glittery lights sky defined creation generations humans swamped like flecks foam rolling sea good case made scientists agree universe go expanding forever fact recent observations suggested expansion universe speeding cosmic time influence dark energy even mysterious dark matter recently group astronomers led dr william percival university edinburgh combined data variety observations compile based simplest theoretical model say precise enumeration yet parameters cosmologists fighting decades universe calculated 1389 billion years old plus minus half billion years 48 percent made ordinary matter matter types known unknown luminous dark accounts 275 percent rest creation 725 percent mysterious dark energy reported paper submitted last month monthly notices royal astronomical society picture ways surprisingly simple satisfying longheld theoretical prejudices universe designed continued agreement coming experiments may mean science approaching end great program cosmological tests began 1930s dr p j e peebles princeton dr bharat ratra kansas state university said draft coming article reviews modern physics ways new dark universe utterly baffling road map new mysteries dr marc davis cosmologist university california berkeley called universe chock full exotics dont make sense anybody moreover questions scientists still know ask let alone answer scientifically anything big bang role life cosmos something rather nothing ever know know much still understand little said dr michael turner cosmologist university chicago big question expanding forever big crunch dim caves lascaux plains stonehenge dreamtime tales australian aborigines testify need explain world existence quest took present form 1917 albert einstein took new general theory relativity explained matter energy warp spacetime produce gravity applied universe einstein discovered cosmos theory described would unstable prone collapse gravity astronomers however sure universe stable einstein added fudge factor called cosmological constant equations acted longrange repulsive force counterbalance gravity 1929 astronomer edwin hubble discovered universe expanding sky full distant galaxies rushing away us one another propelled british astronomer dr fred hoyle later called derisively big bang universe stable thus require counterbalancing einstein abandoned constant referring biggest blunder would return haunt cosmologists universe hoyles term stuck notion explosive genesis became orthodoxy 1965 dr arno penzias dr robert wilson radio astronomers bell laboratories discovered faint uniform radio glow pervaded sky cosmologists concluded fading remnant primordial fireball relieved fudge factor equations describing einsteins universe simple dr allan sandage carnegie observatories astronomer called cosmology search two numbers one hubble constant telling fast universe expanding telling fast expansion slowing thus whether universe expand forever second number known deceleration parameter indicated much cosmos warped density contents highdensity universe space would curved around like ball universe would eventually stop expanding fall back together big crunch would extinguish space time well galaxies stars inhabit lowdensity universe hand would opposite open curvature like saddle harder envision would expand forever overall warpage goldilocks universe right density expand forever slowly infinite time would coast stop flat universe cosmological parlance many theorists simplest mathematically beautiful solution sky yield cosmic numbers easily even help 200inch hale telescope palomar mountain southern california dedicated 1948 built largely task dr hubble wrote measuring shadows searching among ghostly errors measurement landmarks scarcely substantial dark side invisible matter molds galaxies till mid70s quartercentury palomar giant began operating groups astronomers reached tentative conclusion universe could see stars gas planets galaxies nearly enough gravitational oomph stop cosmic expansion universe continue expand forever galaxies get farther farther apart things die dr sandage said time great argument beginning apparently lot universe astronomers could see stars galaxies moving immersed gravity giant invisible clouds socalled dark matter missing matter swiss astronomer dr fritz zwicky labeled 1930s many galaxies example rotating fast would fly apart unless reined gravity halos dark matter according pioneering observations dr vera rubin carnegie institution washington colleagues measurements indicated dark halos outweighed visible galaxies 5 10 times could even dark matter farther space perhaps enough stop expansion universe eventually theorists suggested luminous matter darth vaders sky said like snow mountaintops dark matter gas dark dim objects like stars planets cosmologists speculate subatomic particles left big bang many varieties particles predicted theories highenergy physics existence confirmed detected particle accelerators theorists invent sorts garbage fill universe dr sheldon glashow harvard physicist nobel laureate told gathering dark matter 1981 collectively known wimps weakly interacting massive particles particles would respond electromagnetism force responsible light thus would unable radiate reflect light would also relatively slowmoving cold physics jargon thus also go name cold dark matter earth travels passed darkmatter cloud presumably envelops milky way particles would shoot bodies rarely leaving trace like moonlight window collective gravity particles cosmologists say would shape cosmos contents gathering along fault lines laid random perturbations density early universe dark matter would congeal clouds mass 100000 suns ordinary matter mixed would cool fall centers clouds light stars clouds would attract clouds series mergers billions years smaller clouds would assemble galaxies galaxies would assemble clusters thousands galaxies forth using hubble telescopes time machines light travels finite speed farther astronomers look farther back time see cosmologists begun confirm universe assemble bottom dark matter model predicts last year two teams astronomers reported seeing first stars burning way cloudy aftermath big bang universe 900 million years old bulk galaxy formation occurred universe half quarter present age cosmologists say big news last decade even half universe ago universe looked pretty different said dr alan dressler carnegie observatories pasadena galaxies small irregular sign majestic spiral spider webs decorate sky today would barely recognize milky way galaxy could see five billion years ago sun formed said eight billion years back would unrecognizable said dr dressler yet still many questions cold dark matter model answer astronomers still know example first stars formed models dark matter distribution dont quite fit cores kinds galaxies dark matter particles unambiguously detected identified despite continuing experiments astronomers suggest discrepancies stem inability simple mathematical models deal messy details real world huge mystery exactly stars form dr richard bond canadian institute theoretical astrophysics said cant solve even harder try solve back others notably dr mordehai milgrom theorist weizmann institute israel suggested modifying gravitational laws dark matter deduced first place would alleviate need dark matter altogether bangs fuel inflating one ounce whole universe clues actually exploded big bang emerged unexpected gift another great scientific quest physicists pursuit socalled theory everything would unite physical phenomena single equation unable build machines powerful enough test ambitious notions earth theorists turned sky big bang poor mans particle accelerator dr jakob zeldovich influential russian cosmologist said physicists recognize four forces work world today gravity electromagnetism strong weak nuclear forces suspect based data particle accelerators highpowered theory simply different manifestations single unified force ruled universe earliest hottest moments universe cooled according theory fall grace laws physics evolved one force another freezing splitting away 1979 dr alan guth massachusetts institute technology realized hypothesized glitch process would drastic consequences universe circumstances glass water stay liquid temperature falls 32 degrees disturbed point rapidly freeze releasing latent heat process similarly universe could supercool stay unified state long case space would become temporarily imbued mysterious kind latent heat energy inserted einsteins equations latent energy would act kind antigravity universe would blow apart dr guth discovered calculation 1979 far less blink eye 1037 second speck much smaller proton would swollen size grapefruit resumed stately expansion normal cosmic history resulting todays observable universe patch sky stars 14 billion lightyears across magicalseeming logic einsteins equations ounce primordial stuff universe dr guth liked say might ultimate free lunch dr guth called theory inflation inflation dr guth pointed explains universe expanding dr turner university chicago referred dynamite behind big bang modified improved dr andrei linde stanford dr paul steinhardt princeton dr andreas albrecht university california davis inflation workhorse cosmology ever since one great virtues cosmologists say inflation explains origin galaxies main citizens cosmos answer comes paradoxicalsounding quantum rules govern subatomic affairs smallest scales according quantum theory nature lumpy emitting even energy little bits subject irreducible randomness result socalled quantum fluctuations would leave faint lumps early universe would serve gravitational seeds future galaxies cosmic structures result successes cosmologists stuck idea inflation even though lacking ability test theories high energies big bang precise theory might actually caused inflation actually class theories said dr guth latest version called chaotic inflation dr linde argued quantum fluctuations myriad theorized force fields could done trick indeed others say believe inflation occur spawning endless chain universes one another like bubbles within bubbles universe inflates top dr linde told physics conference spring princeton happening right golden age new devices detect primordial glow inflationary theorists right universe see 14 billion lightyears tiny piece much vaster universe even whole ensemble forever view according theory therefore little patch cosmos appear geometrically flat way section balloon looks flat viewed close universe long thought beautiful simple required logic einsteins general relativity much dark matter something universe enough flatten spacetime astronomers found fact prescription hard reconcile observations galaxies evolutions 1991 astronomers press reports suggested entire theoretical edifice inflation blow universe cold dark matter fill say big bang might junked sigh relief cosmologists greeted announcement april 1992 nasas cosmic background explorer cobe satellite succeeded discerning faint blotches primordial cosmic radio glow seeds inflation predicted large cosmic structures would eventually grow youre religious like seeing god said dr george smoot physicist lawrence berkeley national laboratory led cobe team astronomers say cobe signaled transition heroic ideas universe began replaced heroic data longplanned new telescopes instruments went operation year later skywalking astronauts corrected hubble telescopes myopic vision cosmic background radiation come particular scrutiny new radio telescopes mounted balloons mountaintops news good though decisive inflation three years series increasingly highresolution observations confirmed pattern blotches stippling remnant primordial fireball consistent predictions inflation cold dark matter instruments mapped details small enough seeds modern clusters galaxies im completely snowed cosmic background radiation dr guth said signal weak wasnt even detected 1965 theyre measuring fluctuations one part 100000 perhaps important analysis fluctuations indicates universe flat geometry predicted inflation triumph although observations could prove inflation right nonflat universe would blow theory cosmological orthodoxy inflation boldest promising theory earliest moments creation passed first important test dr turner said time precise measurements cosmic background least near future generally expected come late year nasas microwave anisotropy project map satellite launched space last year june 30 map followed european space agencys planck satellite 2006 highly unlikely map planck able detect dr turner calls smoking gun signature inflation violent stretching universe roil spacetime socalled gravitational waves would leave faint imprint cosmic fireball detecting waves would confirm inflation also might help scientists establish caused inflation first place giving science first look strange physics prevailed creation trillionth trillionth trillionth second old universes fate bleak implications dark energy 1998 two competing teams astronomers startled scientific world news expansion universe seemed speeding influence mysterious antigravity seems embedded space hauntingly reminiscent einsteins old presumably discredited cosmological constant dark energy phenomenon quickly named dark energy real acceleration continues galaxies eventually speed away one another quickly couldnt see one another universe would become cold empty continued acceleration sucked away energy needed life thought would worst possible universe quality quantity life said dr lawrence krauss physicist case western reserve university dr edward witten institute advanced study princeton called discovery dark energy strangest experimental finding since ive physics discovery surprise astronomers involved neither team expected find universe accelerating set measure much expansion universe slowing gravity contents thus settle question fate one team led dr saul perlmutter physicist lawrence berkeley team band astronomers led dr brian schmidt mount stromlo siding spring observatory australia group employed farflung networks telescopes including hubble internet find monitor certain exploding stars supernovas cosmic beacons explosions death rattles massive stars powerful enough seen clear across universe universe younger presumably expanding faster leapfrogging across universe two teams propitiously credibility arrived answer time cosmos slowing speeding dr perlmutter resented competition conceded one group would lot harder get community buy surprising result strange result said dr adam riess member dr schmidts team opposite thought results sent einsteins old cosmological constant forefront cosmology despite disavowal constant never really gone away fact given new life quantum physics einstein famously rejected quantums randomness saying god didnt play dice justified retrospect fudge factor according uncertainty principle pillar quantum theory empty space empty rather foaming energy socalled virtual particles flashed existence borrowed energy socalled vacuum energy could repel like einsteins old cosmological constant attract case dark energy got even stronger year later cosmic background observations reported evidence flat universe astronomers able find third much matter dark luminous needed einsteins laws create flat geometry something else adding discovery dark energy exemplified dr zeldovichs view universe poor mans particle accelerator caught physicists flatfooted somewhat pride astronomers coming age astronomy dr dressler called dark energy question hangs universe really einsteins old fudge factor returned haunt children case universe expands volume space increases astronomers say push dark energy also increase accelerating galaxies away one another faster faster leading dire dark future physicists however pointed theories modern physics replete mysterious force fields collectively called quintessence might might exist could temporarily produce negative gravity mimic action cosmological constant case bets future universe could accelerate decelerate vice versa dark energy fields rose fell third possibility dark energy exist case future whole carefully constructed jigsaw puzzle cosmology might doubt effects cosmic acceleration could mimicked astronomers say unusual dust far universe unsuspected changes characteristics supernovas cosmic time result groups joining original two teams hunt new supernovas ways measure effects dark energy history universe dr perlmutter proposed building special satellite telescope supernova astronomy project investigate exactly abruptly cosmic acceleration kicked nagging questionsa grand synthesis hardly complete new answers harvested old questions linger joined new ones flat universe mathematically appealing solution einsteins equations cosmologists agree puzzled specific recipe large helpings dark matter dark energy nature chosen dr turner called preposterous universe dr martin rees cambridge university cosmologist said discovery deeper principle governing universe perhaps life may alter view fundamental features universe considered fundamental like exact mixture dark matter dark energy regular stuff cosmos may turn mere accidents evolution one many many universes allowed eternal inflation theory would know whether many big bangs one dr rees said answers questions many scientists suspect await final unification physics theory reconciles einsteins relativity describes shape universe quantum chaos lives inside theory quantum gravity needed describe first moments universe small even space time become fuzzy discontinuous two decades many physicists placed bets quantum gravity string theory posits elementary particles tiny strings vibrating 10 11dimensional space kind particle sense corresponds different note string principle string theory explain forces nature even adherents concede equations approximations unknown theory call mtheory standing matrix magic mystery even mother mother theories moreover effects stringy physics evident energies forever beyond limits particle accelerators string theorists ventured cosmology hoping discover effect would show poor mans particle accelerator sky addition strings theory also includes membranes branes various dimensions universe envisioned brane floating higherdimensional space like leaf fish tank perhaps brane universes nearby branes could interact gravitationally even collide setting big bang one version suggested last year four cosmologists led dr steinhardt princeton another brane would repeatedly collide pass back forth causing universe undergo eternal chain big bangs notions probably future paid wonder universe fruits work could yet cause cosmologists reconsider new consensus warned dr peebles princeton often acted conscience cosmological community trying put brakes faddish trends wonders whether situation today compared another historical era around 1900 many people thought physics essentially finished english physicist lord kelvin said couple clouds remained dealt annoying tidbits turned relativity quantum theory twin revolutions 20thcentury science dr peebles said likewise clouds today like called dark sector could complicated physics cosmologists think im convinced clouds herald revolutions deep relativity quantum mechanics dr peebles said im arguing wont fate universe never firm answer said dr sandage hubbles protg seen like asking god exist said predicting future pointed requires faith simple mathematical models really work describe universe dont think really know things work said although dr sandage buy aspects emerging orthodoxy said fantastic time alive working toward much grander synthesis could imagined 100 years ago said think exciting life could httpwwwnytimescom20020723sciencespace23univhtmlex1028416223ei1enff38ea5fac0c9158 advertise information advertising email newsletters creative advertising opportunities new york times web please contact onlinesalesnytimescom visit online media kit httpwwwnytimescomadinfo general information nytimescom write helpnytimescom copyright 2002 new york times company httpxentcommailmanlistinfofork tue 23 jul 2002 052343 0400 edt nytimescom 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