Re: Question for Cosmologists

Rich Blinne wrote:

> Note the following story in New Scientist
> <http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8566&feedId=online-news_rss20>:
>
> Dark energy – the mysterious force that drives the acceleration of the
> universe – changes over time, controversial new calculations suggest.
> If true, the work rules out Einstein's notion of a "cosmological
> constant" and suggests dark energy, which now repels space, once drew
> it together. [emphasis mine]
>
> My question for the cosmologists on this group is as follows: Does
> this not imply that inflation is incorrect and by extension so is the
> multiverse explanation of fine-tuning?

The study shows that Einstein's cosmological constant has been disproven
with 97% probability if independent methods support this finding. Which
means that the acceleration in the young universe was less than expected.

The quickening of the universe's expansion is affected by dark matter,
and the study suggests that dark matter has changed over time,
conflicting with a constant cosmological constant.
I do not believe the inflationary theory depends on this, and
inflationary theory has been verified by the cosmic background radiation.

But the study has its issues
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/science/12cosmos.html

Moreover, he said, if Dr. Schaefer's analysis is valid, his results
agree with Einstein's constant, within the measurements' uncertainties.

"It's not a meaningful discrepancy," Dr. Lamb said, adding that a
statement like Dr. Schaefer's required stronger evidence. "The bottom
line is the result doesn't show Einstein was right. And it doesn't show
he was wrong."
Received on Fri Jan 13 00:07:18 2006