SpaceTime Series 28 Episode 04 Challenging the Existence of Dark Energy A groundbreaking study from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand is challenging the long-held belief in dark energy, suggesting that the universe's expansion might not require this enigmatic force. The research proposes the "timescape" model, which accounts for variations in cosmic expansion rates by considering differences in gravitational time dilation. This model could potentially resolve some of the universe's biggest mysteries, including the Hubble tension, by suggesting that dark energy is simply a misinterpretation of cosmic conditions. Solar Wind Slowing Beyond Pluto NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has detected a slowdown in the solar wind as it travels beyond Pluto. The data reveals that the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, decelerates as it picks up interstellar material. This discovery offers new insights into the heliosphere's outer reaches and the interaction between solar and interstellar forces. Venus's Volcanic Past New research indicates that Venus's ancient tesserae regions, once thought to be akin to Earth's continental crust, may actually be composed of layered volcanic rocks. This finding, based on radar data from NASA's Magellan mission, challenges previous assumptions and provides fresh perspectives on Venus's geological history. 00:00 New observations show the solar wind slowing down beyond Pluto 00:27 New study claims dark energy doesn't explain accelerating universe 11:27 If the universe has an energy field of the right kind, expansion can accelerate 18:22 Some tesserae on Venus have layering consistent with volcanic activity 21:07 Scientists have identified a new genetic link to autism spectrum disorder 23:51 LG will release a fridge with a transparent OLED door 24:58 The flip phone turns 29 on January 3rd, 1996 26:28 Microsoft have announced their own version of Apple's Mac Mini 27:31 Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com www.bitesz.com 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. Enjoy incredible discounts and bonuses! Plus, it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ Check out our newest sponsor - Old Glory - Iconic Music and Sports Merch and now with official NASA merchandise. Well worth a look... Become a supporter of this Podcast for as little as $3 per month and access commercial-free episodes plus bonuses: https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/about ✍️ Episode References Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters [https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl](https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl) Astrophysical Journal [https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/) Journal Geology [https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology)