Newfound 'glitch' in Einstein's relativity could rewrite the rules of the universe, study suggests

By Ben Turner published 2 days ago

Einstein's theory of general relativity is our best description of the universe at large scales, but a new observation that reports a "glitch" in gravity around ancient structures could force it to be modified.



An artist's rending of the moment before falling into a black hole. You can see a starry galaxy and strips of bright light bending to the gravity of the black hole.
An artist's rending of the moment an observer crosses a black hole's event horizon. (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/J. Schnittman and B. Powell)

A strange "cosmic glitch" in gravity could explain the universe's weird behavior on the largest scales, researchers suggest.

First formulated by Albert Einstein in 1915, the theory of general relativity remains our best and most accurate understanding of how gravity works on medium to large scales.

Yet, zoom out even farther to view enormous groups of gravitationally bound galaxies interacting, and some inconsistencies appear to emerge. This suggests that gravity, which is theorized to be a constant across all times and scales, could actually become slightly weaker at cosmic distances.

In a study published March 20 in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, researchers described this discrepancy as a "cosmic glitch," and they say their proposed fix for it could help us understand some of the universe's most enduring mysteries.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/newfound-glitch-in-einsteins-relativity-could-rewrite-the-rules-of-the-universe-study-suggests