Dark matter is considered the invisible force that holds everything together in the universe, preventing materials from drifting apart, but what if this could be explained in a simpler form using gravity as the reigning force? This idea of cosmic “glue” was first introduced by the astronomer Fritz Zwicky to justify the high velocities of galaxies in the Coma Cluster. However, researchers have now proposed something that might challenge the role of dark matter—and could change how we understand galaxies and distant cosmic objects forever.
Invisible forces pushing the universe forward and holding it still
Unseen forces appear to shape the universe, keeping matter bound together even as space itself stretches into areas we can’t yet observe because light hasn’t traveled that far – and this is the role dark energy plays in the expansion of the universe. The dark energy is the force pushing the universe forward, while obscure matter behaves like a form of gravity in the cosmic void, holding galaxies together without forcing them to collide.
Both are called “dark” because we cannot observe them directly—we only infer their presence from their effects. Dark matter is thought to outweigh ordinary matter by about five to one and has been considered a dominant force shaping the cosmos—until recently, when new theories started to question if it’s really necessary.
New theory about dark matter
Professor Jonathan Oppenheim from University College London shared a new paper on X proposing a theory that removes the need for dark matter in explaining both the universe’s expansion and the way galaxies rotate—dark energy is also questioned.
This is not the first time these concepts have been challenged. Since neither dark matter nor dark energy has ever been observed directly, many scientists have raised doubts over the years. The paper, available on the ArXiv platform, asks if these mysterious substances even exist. History shows that some ideas once widely accepted—like the “ether,” the mythical planet Vulcan between Mercury and the Sun, or the notion of celestial spheres—were eventually discarded for lack of evidence.
Rather than relying on unseen forces, Oppenheim’s study returns to a simpler idea: classical gravity. Einstein’s theory of general relativity says that massive objects warp space-time, creating gravity. But the paper takes it further, suggesting that space-time itself fluctuates randomly, producing chaotic wobbles in time and curvature.
How the fluctuations impact the cosmic fabric
These fluctuations, built into the fabric of space-time, could create gravitational effects previously attributed to this “matter”. This fresh perspective could offer new ways to understand the cosmos. The research, conducted by Oppenheim and UCL PhD candidate Andrea Russo, focuses on the spiral motion of galaxies, a key puzzle linked to dark matter. Normally, stars near a galaxy’s edge should orbit more slowly, since gravity is weaker there, but observations show their speed does not drop off.
According to this theory, the energy keeping those stars moving at their speeds comes from random space-time fluctuations. This effect would be strongest where gravity is weakest—on galaxy outskirts. In regions of strong gravity, like our solar system, where the Sun’s pull dominates, the fluctuations would be barely noticeable.
No more abstract concepts
On social media, Oppenheim stated that this idea could explain the universe’s expansion and the way galaxies rotate without relying on the abstract notions introduced by Edwin Hubble in 1929 (dark energy) and Frank Zwicky back in the 1930s. This could explain how the universe works in a simpler way – and also reinforce Einstein’s general relativity theory as still relevant for any study about the spacetime and how things work in a cosmic level.
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