Paradigm Shift: New Research Challenges Universe’s Age, Doubles It to 26.7 Billion Years

Paradigm Shift: New Research Challenges Universe’s Age, Doubles It to 26.7 Billion Years

A groundbreaking study puts forth a bold claim, suggesting that the age of the universe may be nearly double the widely accepted estimate. According to this new research, the universe could be approximately 26.7 billion years old, a significant revision from the commonly held belief of 13.7 billion years. This remarkable finding stems from a novel model that incorporates Zwicky’s tired light theory and Dirac’s evolving coupling constants, offering explanations for the existence of fully formed small galaxies a mere 300 million years after the Big Bang and proposing a reevaluation of the cosmological constant.

The study challenges the prevailing understanding of the universe’s age by proposing that it could extend far beyond the current estimate of 13.7 billion years based on the Lambda-CDM concordance model.

“Our newly developed model extends the timeframe for galaxy formation by several billion years, suggesting that the universe is actually 26.7 billion years old, not 13.7 billion years as previously believed,” explains Rajendra Gupta, an adjunct professor of physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa.

Gupta’s groundbreaking model not only expands the timeline for galaxy formation by several billion years but also sheds light on the “impossible early galaxy problem” that has perplexed scientists. The discovery of ancient galaxies exhibiting advanced stages of evolution, enabled by the James Webb Space Telescope, has raised questions due to their existence only a mere 300 million years after the Big Bang. These galaxies possess a level of maturity and mass typically associated with billions of years of cosmic evolution, defying conventional understanding. Additionally, their unexpectedly small size adds another layer of enigma to the equation.

Zwicky’s tired light theory proposes that the redshift of light from distant galaxies is caused by the gradual loss of energy by photons over vast cosmic distances. However, this theory seemed to contradict observations. Nonetheless, Gupta’s findings suggest that “by allowing this theory to coexist with the expanding universe, it becomes possible to reinterpret the redshift as a hybrid phenomenon, rather than solely a result of expansion.”

“Our newly developed model extends the timeframe for galaxy formation by several billion years, suggesting that the universe is 26.7 billion years old, not 13.7 billion years as previously estimated,” states Rajendra Gupta, an adjunct professor of physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa.

In addition to Zwicky’s tired light theory, Gupta introduces the concept of evolving “coupling constants,” as hypothesized by Paul Dirac. Coupling constants are fundamental physical constants that govern the interactions between particles. Dirac suggested that these constants might have varied throughout time. By allowing them to evolve, the formation timeframe for early galaxies observed through the Webb telescope at high redshifts can be expanded from a few hundred million years to several billion years. This provides a more plausible explanation for the advanced levels of development and mass observed in these ancient galaxies.

Furthermore, Gupta argues for a revision of the traditional interpretation of the “cosmological constant,” which represents dark energy responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. Instead, he proposes a constant that accounts for the evolution of the coupling constants. This modification in the cosmological model offers a potential resolution to the puzzle of small galaxy sizes observed in the early universe, facilitating more accurate observations.

On July 7, 2023, Oxford University Press published the study titled “JWST early Universe observations and _xD835__xDEB2_CDM cosmology” in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).

Reference: “JWST early Universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology” by R Gupta, 7 July 2023, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2032

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More about universe’s age revision

• Study: “JWST early Universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology” (Oxford University Press)
• Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) Journal
• Zwicky’s tired light theory
• Dirac’s evolving coupling constants
• Lambda-CDM concordance model