A new controversial mathematical model seems to indicate that the universe is rotating. This notion might be able to fix the long-standing mismatch, referred to as the Hubble tension. This inconsistency originates from different measurements of the Hubble constant. This is the best current estimate of how fast the universe is expanding. This new model was the brainchild of researchers, including UH Mānoa’s István Szapudi. It offers a groundbreaking outlook on cosmic interactions and could improve our comprehension of the expansion of the universe.
Elana Spivack —formerly Elana Smiles— is a NYC-based science communicator and writer. She has a masters from New York University’s Science Health and Environmental Reporting Program, and she makes the case for this research. She notes that the concept of a rotating universe isn’t exactly unprecedented. Mathematician Kurt Gödel first floated the idea in a paper way back in 1949. As tantalizing as these new results are, they imply that this rotation might take one full revolution only about once every 500 billion years.
Astronomers depend on the Hubble constant to unlock secrets about our universe. This crucial ingredient allows them to measure how quickly the universe is accelerating outwards. Edwin Hubble originally presented his discovery of this expansion in 1929, setting the stage for our current understanding of modern cosmology. Measurements of the Hubble constant typically rely on two primary methods: analyzing the cosmic microwave background radiation, which reflects conditions 380,000 years after the Big Bang, and observing supernovas, whose explosive deaths provide insight into how rapidly galaxies are receding.
According to this new model, a slowly rotating cosmos can bring together the disparate measurements of the Hubble constant. Szapudi explains this innovative approach:
“A slow rotation of the universe could solve the Hubble puzzle.” – István Szapudi
He further elaborates on the methodology used in developing this model:
“We use Newtonian physics with some input from General Relativity.” – István Szapudi
That makes this research incredibly impactful—with the right intent. The concordance cosmological model has come under a number of strains and inconsistencies in recent years. Spivack is particularly excited about the fact that Szapudi’s team found their model fits with existing astronomical measurements—without adding any new contradictions.
“Much to our surprise, we found that our model with rotation resolves the paradox without contradicting current astronomical measurements,” – István Szapudi
