Scientists discover 'cosmic glitch' in the universe in quest to solve space and time

Scientists have been scratching their heads at the expansion of the universe since it was discovered nearly a century ago, particularly applying fundamental theories such as Einstein's Theory of Relativity at a cosmic scale.

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A new paper published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics by a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and the University of British Columbia in Canada details a new approach to applying the theory of gravity at the grandest scale possible. The team argues that Einstein's theory isn't enough to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe, as it applies traditional theories of gravity at a cosmic scale - astronomical objects such as galaxy clusters and beyond - the theory has inconsistencies.

The team called these inconsistencies with gravity a "cosmic glitch" and decided to make some alterations to Einstein's theory to accommodate the glitch. More specifically, the study's lead author and Waterloo mathematical physics graduate Robin Wen explained that at a cosmic scale, gravity becomes "around one percent weaker" and that the newly devised model that patches this cosmic glitch may be the first step in solving the cosmic puzzle of spacetime and its relationship at various scales.

"It's almost as if gravity itself stops perfectly matching Einstein's theory. We are calling this inconsistency a 'cosmic glitch': gravity becomes around one percent weaker when dealing with distances in the billions of light years," said Wen

"Think of it as being like a footnote to Einstein's theory. Once you reach a cosmic scale, terms and conditions apply," added Wen

"Almost a century ago, astronomers discovered that our universe is expanding," explained coauthor and University of Waterloo astrophysics professor Niayesh Afshordi. "The farther away galaxies are, the faster they are moving, to the point that they seem to be moving at nearly the speed of light, the maximum allowed by Einstein's theory. Our finding suggests that, on those very scales, Einstein's theory may also be insufficient," he added