Cosmological models are built on a simple, century-old idea -- but new observations demand a radical rethink
- Written by: David Wiltshire, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Canterbury
Fosalba & Gaztañaga 2021, MNRAS, CC BY-SAOur ideas about the Universe are based on a century-old simplification known as the cosmological principle. It suggests that when averaged on large scales, the Cosmos is homogeneous and matter is distributed evenly throughout.
This allows a mathematical description of space-time that simplifies...