New Theory Challenges Cosmic Expansion: What if Our Universe is Actually Shrinking?

A groundbreaking theory offering a new perspective on the long-held “cosmic expansion theory” has been announced, sending ripples through the scientific community. The U.S.-based Quest Science Center (QSC) proposes a new theory: “The universe is not expanding; rather, the ‘matter world itself’ around us is shrinking.” Astonishingly, research results show that this theory is consistent with existing observational data.

According to QSC's research, there is a possibility that the matter world has shrunk by 30-40% compared to the early universe. This “matter world contraction theory” reinterprets phenomena such as “redshift,” where distant galaxies appear to be moving away from Earth – phenomena previously explained by cosmic expansion – as an apparent effect caused by the scale of matter itself diminishing over time.

On social media, this new theory has garnered numerous expressions of surprise and interest, with comments like “A Copernican revolution!”, “Mind-blowing!”, and “Such an interesting reverse way of thinking.” Some express anticipation for future developments, asking “Will this be a new step in unraveling the universe?” Humorous reactions also appeared, such as “I finally understand why Country Ma'am cookies keep getting smaller every year.” Meanwhile, opinions pondering the impact on existing cosmology, like “Did the Big Bang still happen?” and “Has the Big Crunch already begun?”, are also seen.

If this theory were to become established, it could profoundly impact our understanding of the universe's origin and evolution, as well as unresolved cosmic components like dark matter and dark energy. This new hypothesis, challenging the long-established concept of cosmic expansion, is poised to bring a fresh wave of debate and research to the field of cosmic science.

The context

To help non-Japanese readers understand the article, here's some background information:

• Cosmic Expansion Theory (宇宙膨張説): This is the dominant scientific model that describes the universe as expanding, meaning the distances between galaxies are increasing over time. This expansion is thought to have originated from the Big Bang.
• Redshift (赤方偏移): An astronomical phenomenon where light from distant galaxies appears to shift towards the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is commonly interpreted as a Doppler effect caused by galaxies moving away from us due to the expansion of space. In the “matter world contraction theory,” this would be reinterpreted as a perceived effect due to the shrinking scale of matter over time, rather than actual expansion of space.
• Big Bang: The dominant cosmological model for the observable universe from its earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale evolution. It states that the universe began as an extremely hot, dense point and has been expanding and cooling ever since. The new theory's implications for the Big Bang are a key point of discussion.
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy: These are hypothetical forms of matter and energy that are believed to constitute the vast majority of the universe's mass and energy, respectively. Dark matter is thought to provide extra gravitational pull to explain galaxy rotation and cluster formation, while dark energy is believed to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. QSC's theory could potentially offer alternative explanations for phenomena currently attributed to them, leading to a reevaluation of their roles.