Shifting Forces: The evolving debate around dark energy
UC researcher weighs in on how new evidence challenges established science
Scientists are revisiting the mystery of dark energy, the force thought to be steadily pushing the universe to expand faster.
According to an “Undark Magazine” article, data from a new scientific device shows that dark energy might not be a constant after all and could be changing over time.
Scientists cited say that more research and observations are needed before upending long held beliefs.
Melissa Jaquart, assistant professor of philosophy. Photo provided by Jaquart.
In the article, Melissa Jaquart, a philosopher of science at the University of Cincinnati, explains that it can be hard to reconsider ideas we’ve held for a long time; especially in scientific discovery where scientists often stick to theories that fit their usual way of thinking about the world, which can reflect personal bias.
Jacquart says many areas of physics focus on consistency — the idea that things always work the same way — and that this preference for simplicity can make scientists want to keep things easy to understand.
According to the article, these new results could mean the universe won’t continue expanding forever in the same way, possibly leading to new ideas about how the universe will end.
Read the full "Undark Magazine" article.
Featured photo at top of dark space by iStock Photo/alexaldo.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Cancer Center plays key role in lab research, clinical trials for new pancreatic cancer drug
September 1, 2026
WLWT and WCPO highlighted the contributions of University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers that helped lead to the recent FDA approval of daraxonrasib, a new treatment for pancreatic cancer.
An expert pieced together this Roman document like a puzzle
September 1, 2026
National media highlighted a new project by UC Classics Assistant Professor Matthijs Wibier to piece together and translate an ancient Roman text from fragments buried in the desert for more than 1,600 years.
Cancer Center physician receives $150,000 New Investigator Research Grant to study treatment-resistant leukemia
September 1, 2026
The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Sarah Skuli, MD, PhD, received a two‑year, $150,000 Leukemia Research Foundation New Investigator Grant to study TP53‑mutated leukemia, a treatment‑resistant subtype with very poor outcomes.