How old is the universe?

The Dhaka Times Desk How old is the universe? How fast is it expanding? These are questions of great importance to many physicists.

Many consider them particularly important in cosmology, or the study of the origin and development of the universe.

Until now, scientists had also determined an acceptable time for the age of the middle universe. But a new study has shaken the foundations of all those previous ideas.

Earlier it was thought that this universe is about 13.6 to 13.8 billion years old. But a new study claims that the universe is not that old. It is at least a billion years younger than previously thought. Moreover, it is expanding faster than previously thought.

The new research was done by astronomer Adam Reiss at Hopkins University. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011. The AFP news agency quoted the scientific journal Astronomical Journal as saying that Riess had researched this issue for two years and reached that conclusion.

Riess also observed 70 sapphire stars as a sample of his research. He then calculated the distances and rates of vibration of the sapphire stars. His calculations were later compared to a supernova. Adam Ries worked for two years to make this calculation using NASA's Hubble telescope. He then determined the rate of vibration to be 74.

A vibrational rate of 74 means that the universe is between 12.5 billion and 13 billion years old. Because of that, it calls into question the earlier calculations. After his research, new problems arose among scientists. This is so confusing to them that they are thinking of new theories of physics to solve this problem.

Adam Reiss says the matter is now at a point where it cannot be explained without new ideas.

NASA astrophysicist John Mather said about the results of the study that the event highlighted two things to scientists. The first is that they have not yet caught the mistakes they are making. The second is that nature is so mysterious that it has yet to be penetrated.

Whatever the case may be, scientist Adam Reiss didn't shy away from a lighthearted joke. He said, 'This is very good news. Everyone looks so much younger!'