Astronomers cannot agree on how fast the universe is expanding

Catch up on global daily news Compelling long reads Tune into captivating conversations Watch engaging short films Curated news, direct to your inbox Subscribe to The Economist Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters Subscribe to The Economist Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters IT IS ONE of the biggest mysteries in cosmology—and getting bigger all the time. Ever since Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, published observations of distant galaxies in 1929, scientists have known that the universe is expanding. For almost 30 years they have known that the expansion is accelerating (that discovery, made in 1998, was honoured with a Nobel prize in 2011). What they cannot agree on, though, is how fast it is currently growing. This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Cosmic horror” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents A subset of journal editors may be partly responsible It is a new implementation of an old idea There are simpler ways to get smoother skin and stronger joints But international regulation and precarious funding threaten their efforts Winners of a design competition include conjoined Ferris wheels and a 58km-long cylinder Trump’s U-turn on chip-export controls could be a boon To enhance your experience and ensure our website runs smoothly, we use cookies and similar technologies. Registered in England and Wales. No. 236383 | Registered office: The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6HT | VAT Reg No: GB 340 436 876 © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2025