A recent observational study challenges one of the most accepted theories of modern science: the Big Bang.
The findings, published in the scientific journal Particlessuggest that the expansion of the universe may not have been driven by a big bang billions of years ago but instead by an alternative, “fringe” explanation that is nearly a century old—the “Tired Light” theory.
“The tired theory of light has been largely neglected, as astronomers have adopted the Big Bang theory as the consensus model of the universe,” said Dr. Lior Shamir, study author and associate professor of computer science at Kansas State University, in a release. “But some astronomers’ confidence in the Big Bang theory began to wane when the powerful James Webb Space Telescope saw the first light.”
“JWST provided deep images of the very early universe, but instead of showing a baby early universe as astronomers had hoped, it showed large, mature galaxies. If the Big Bang happened as scientists believe, these galaxies are older than the universe itself.”
The Big Bang theory is the long-standing explanation for the origin of the universe. According to this theory, the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago from a very hot and dense singularity, rapidly expanding and cooling over time.
This event is believed to have set the foundation for the cosmos, leading to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets. The Big Bang theory is supported by several lines of evidence, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation, the distribution of galaxies, and the observed redshift of light from distant galaxies, indicating that the universe is expanding.
However, in this new study, Dr. Shamir said that redshift—a phenomenon in which light from distant objects shifts toward the red end of the spectrum, indicating that they are moving away—may not necessarily prove that the universe is expanding in the way the Big Bang theory suggests. . Instead, the evidence may support an alternative: the “Tired Light” theory.
First proposed in 1929 by Swiss astronomer Dr. Fritz Zwicky, the “Tired Light” theory offers a different explanation for the redshift observed in light from distant galaxies.
According to this theory, as light travels through space, it loses energy over long distances due to interactions with particles or fields, causing it to “get tired” and shift to longer wavelengths, such as red.
This process would give the appearance of an expanding universe without requiring the actual outward motion of galaxies from a central point, as suggested by the Big Bang theory.
The “Tired Light” theory was initially dismissed by the scientific community in favor of the Big Bang theory, mainly because it could not fully explain the certainly observations, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and surface brightness of galaxies that evolve over time.
However, recent observations and analyses, such as those presented in this new study, may prompt a re-examination of Dr.’s hypothesis. Zwicky.
In the newly published paper, Dr. Shamir argues that recent observational data challenge the common interpretation of redshift as evidence of universal expansion. The study suggests that the tired model of light can better explain some cosmological phenomena, especially how light behaves at enormous cosmic distances.
The study focuses on the differences between observed data and predictions made by the Big Bang model, including the expansion rate inferred from redshift data. Teaches Dr. Shamir says that while the Big Bang theory predicts a constant rate of expansion, observational data show a more complex picture that can be interpreted through a tired light framework.
Moreover, the study introduces a series of calculations and simulations to show how the tired model of light can be reconciled with current data on the structure and behavior of the universe. This suggests that the tired model of light can potentially explain phenomena such as Hubble constant‘s inconsistencies — a number that represents the rate at which the universe is expanding — has been the subject of intense debate in the scientific community.
“The results showed that galaxies rotating in the opposite direction relative to the Milky Way have a lower redshift compared to galaxies rotating in the same direction relative to the Milky Way,” said Dr. Shamir. “That difference reflects the motion of the Earth as it rotates with the Milky Way. But the results also showed that the difference in redshift increased when the galaxies were farther from Earth.
“Since the rotation speed of the Earth is constant relative to the galaxies, the reason for the difference may be the distance of the galaxies from the Earth. This shows that the redshift of the galaxies changes with the distance, which is what Zwicky predicted in his Tired Light theory.”
The study’s findings do not outright reject the Big Bang theory but call for broader consideration of alternative explanations that may also fit the available data. Dr. suggests Shamir that the tired theory of light deserves renewed attention, especially with recent advances in observational technologies that provide a clearer view of cosmic phenomena.
Although this new study offers intriguing evidence supporting the “Tired Light” theory, the scientific community is likely to approach such claims with caution.
The Big Bang theory was the dominant cosmological model for nearly a century. This is supported by extensive observational data, including the distribution of galaxies throughout the universe.
These pillars of evidence have withstood decades of scrutiny, making it unlikely that the scientific community will easily discard the Big Bang theory in favor of an alternative hypothesis without compelling and comprehensive proof.
Similarly, critics have long argued that the tired theory of light does not account for all the observed evidence that supports the Big Bang model, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation—the Big Bang’s “afterglow” —and the abundance of light elements like hydrogen. and helium.
However, the Big Bang theory has its own challenges and unsolved mysteries. For example, it grapples with issues such as the horizon problem, the flatness problem, and the baryon asymmetry question in matter. In addition, critical elements such as “dark energy” and “dark matter,” which are necessary for the Big Bang theory to work, remain unexplained.
A recent observational study by Dr. Shamir may prompt scientists to reexamine the basic assumptions behind their understanding of the cosmos. At the very least, it suggests that aspects of cosmic history remain unclear, inviting consideration of alternative ideas about the origin and expansion of the universe.
It remains uncertain whether the tired theory of light will gain wider acceptance or be further refined to account for the phenomena explained by the Big Bang model.
What is clear, however, is that this debate is far from over. The universe can still hold surprises that challenge even our most cherished scientific theories.
“The unprecedented imaging power of JWST has revealed new information about the Universe that does not align with some of the current major cosmological assumptions,” wrote Dr. Shamir. “These surprising observations introduce a challenge to cosmology: if the distance indicators are accurate, the standard model of cosmology is incomplete. If the current standard theories of cosmology are complete, the distance indicators.”
“That is, either the standard theories of cosmology need to be changed, or the redshift as an indicator of distance needs to be changed, but the two may not coexist without changes.”
Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and psychology-related topics. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan. Tim can be reached via email: tim@thedebrief.org or via encrypted email: LtTimMcMillan@protonmail.com
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