Reuters "Good News" (the Universe - dark energy - and Hubble)

[papau]

New Astrophysical Journal issue that was reviewed by NYT is now reviewed by Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4406472

Good News: the Universe May Not Be Dying
Fri February 20, 2004 05:28 PM ET By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Cosmologists had a bit of good news on Friday -- they are just about twice as certain as they were before that the Universe is not going to be ripped apart.<snip>

Discovered only six years ago, dark energy may make up 70 percent of the universe. It holds the key to the future of the universe, depending on how strong and how permanent it is.<snip>

<snip>"In 1998 we first detected that the universe was accelerating and was apparently being driven to that state by this very mysterious dark energy that appears to make up 70 percent of the universe," the Institute's Adam Reiss told reporters. "That took us all by surprise. We don't really understand what it is."
<snip>

One hope is that it is the explanation for Einstein's theoretical cosmological constant, a number that will predict whether the universe will collapse in a "big crunch," be completely blown apart in a "big rip" or just drift steadily until the galaxies are so far apart they cannot be seen -- in effect taking the stars from the sky.

"Right now we're about twice as confident than before that Einstein's cosmological constant is real, or at least dark energy does not appear to be changing fast enough (if at all) to cause an end to the universe anytime soon," Reiss added.<snip>

"If Einstein was right and dark energy remains at the strength it is for all time, the Universe will expand forever," Reiss said.

<snip>

[ajacobson]

1. That explains why my waistline is expanding forever.

Screw you Dr. Aktins...

[papau]

2. We who have mature bodies have worked hard to get to this size!

but I worry about the effect of all the dark energy weight on the bathroom scale!

[dArKeR]

3. MSGOP error By Robert Roy Britt Senior science writer

If that's right, the universe will continue to expand at an accelerating forever.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4327735/

[papau]

4. If entropy only increases by going faster, it makes physics seem rather

interesting.

In Sci Fi in the 40's 60's and 60's we thought there might be a place in the universe where whatever was outside the universe was pushing matter through the hole to fill up the universe (sort of blowing air in a balloon) - and now we have wormholes!

So as soon as the Hubble finds the birthing place, we will have that old conjecture proven!

:-)