Javier Rubio

Back in the last century, Vera Rubin discovered that stars on the outskirts of galaxies rotate too fast, as if held by some invisible substance. Since then, dark matter has remained a puzzle. Usually, its origin is linked to new particles or forces. But a new study points to a simpler source — the geometry of space itself.

10⁻¹²⁰. That's not just a small number: it's a chasm. That's the ratio of dark energy density to the Planck density, the natural scale of quantum gravity. The colossal difference of 120 orders of magnitude has long seemed an unsolvable puzzle. But the answer might lie in a drama played out at the dawn of time.