The universe's expansion may actually have started to slow rather than accelerating at an ever-increasing rate as previously thought, a new study suggests. "Remarkable" findings published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society cast doubt on the long-standing theory that a mysterious force known as 'dark energy' is driving distant galaxies away increasingly faster. Instead, they show no evidence of an accelerating universe. If the results are confirmed it could open an entirely new chapter in scientists' quest to uncover the true nature of dark energy, resolve the 'Hubble tension', and understand the past and future of the universe.

Images of black holes are more than just fascinating visuals: they could serve as a “testing ground” for alternative theories of gravity in the future. An international team led by Prof. Luciano Rezzolla has developed a new method to examine whether black holes operate according to Einstein’s theory of relativity or other, more exotic theories. To that end, the researchers conducted highly complex simulations and derived measurable criteria that can be tested with future, even sharper telescopes. Over the next few years, this method could reveal whether Einstein’s theories hold true even in the most extreme regions of the universe.

A shimmering new view of interstellar gas and dust captured by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope. The nebula is part of a so-called dark cloud, named LDN 1641. It sits at about 1300 light-years from Earth, within a sprawling complex of dusty gas clouds where stars are being formed, in the constellation of Orion.

Human health is influenced by many factors: diet, exercise, family history, and — believe it or not — gravity. The Earth’s gravitational pull, or its absence, affects the movement of fluid throughout the body, impacting blood flow. As space travel becomes more common, it’s crucial to understand the body’s reaction to changes in gravity and its effects on astronauts’ health. Using tilt tables, researchers from the Bioastronautics and Human Performance (BHP) Laboratory at Texas A&M University are investigating the effects of different gravity levels on the body, all without leaving campus.