Dark Energy Tiptoes Toward the Spotlight

摘要

It's the biggest question in physics: What is the invisible stuff blowing the universe apart? A decade ago, the idea of "dark energy" was a historical footnote, something Einstein concocted to balance his equations and later regretted. Now, thanks to observations of distant supernovae and the faint afterglow of the big bang, dark energy is weighing ever more heavily upon the minds of cosmologists. They now know that this mysterious "antigravity" force exists, yet nobody has a good explanation for what it might be or how it works. That vexing state of affairs may be starting to change. Scientists are finally beginning to get the first tentative measurements of the properties of this ineffable force. It's a crucial endeavor, because the nature of dark energy holds the secret to the fate of the universe and might even cause its violent and sudden demise.