Student Article

Scientists have always relied on physical laws and mathematical models to explain how the Universe works. But now, the deeper we look into space, the more things don’t add up.

Galaxies are moving in strange ways

One of the biggest problems is something called the Hubble tension. This refers to a mismatch in how fast the Universe is expanding. When scientists measure the expansion rate using nearby galaxies and exploding stars (supernovae), they get one number. But when they measure it using light from the early Universe — called the cosmic microwave background — they get a different number. These two methods should agree, but they don’t.

Is something missing from our models?

To explain this, some physicists think the models we use to describe the Universe are incomplete or flawed. The current model, called the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model, includes ideas like dark matter (an invisible substance that adds mass to galaxies) and dark energy (a mysterious force causing the Universe to expand faster). These concepts help explain certain cosmic observations, but new data suggests even they might not be enough. There are also unusual findings from the James Webb Space Telescope, which has spotted surprisingly bright and mature galaxies much earlier in the Universe’s history than expected.

Big questions lead to big discoveries

Some scientists are even considering radical changes to how we understand gravity, space-time, and quantum physics. While no one has a final answer yet, the growing pile of strange results is forcing researchers to question what they thought they knew.

The Universe may not be broken — but our understanding of it might be. As technology improves and more data comes in, scientists are entering what could be a new era of discovery.

© Marcus Chown / Our Media