Dark Energy: Phantom or Illusion? ✎ express
Data from the DESI galaxy survey hint: dark energy was more powerful in the past than today. This 'phantom' behavior threatens the Universe with a Big Rip — a finale where even atoms disintegrate. But the KMIX model explains this as an illusion. Two fundamental fields — like a distorting mirror — warp our picture: constant energy appears variable. Without this distortion, the catastrophe is canceled.
With the help of a neural network, scientists have, so to speak, polished the distorting mirror: KMIX predictions were directly compared with data from the Planck satellite and supernovae. Result: moderate preference for the model with a confidence of 2.5 sigma. The final answer lies with future telescopes, but it is already clear: dark energy may be merely a shadow of complex geometry, not an independent substance.
The term 'quintessence' for dynamic dark energy models comes from ancient philosophy, where it referred to a fifth element filling the heavens — distinct from earth, water, air, and fire.