‘Einstein was wrong’ – new study of universe poses fundamental questions

Astronomers have created the biggest ever model of the evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang to the present day, using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. The model was based on Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the accepted theory for explaining the structure of the universe. However, the results suggest there may be problems with Einstein’s work, which predicts how matter should have spread out over the 13.8 billion years since the Big Bang.

Class discussion: Does it surprise you to hear a scientist say that he welcomes the possibility that his life’s work could now be proved wrong? Do you understand how the scientific method works? Do you find it distressing or comforting that what you learn about science today may change tomorrow or in the next decade? How does the development of new tools – space telescopes, particle colliders, supercomputers – keep changing our understanding and theories about the universe?