The vast nothingness of space may be vaster and more full of nothing than we previously thought. We really are all alone out here.
Scientists who dedicate their time to studying space have come across a number of pressing conundrums. One of them is called Hubble Tension. We already know the universe is still expanding, but it appears that it’s expanding much faster than it should be.
“The puzzle, called the ‘Hubble Tension,’ is that the current rate of the expansion of the universe is faster than what astronomers expect it to be, based on the universe’s initial conditions and our present understanding of the universe’s evolution,” the NASA site explains.
A new study from the University of Portsmouth, UK, has come up with a possible solution. But the implications mean that we’re possibly very alone out here in space, and potentially living in an unfathomably large void.
Empty Space Void
Scientists have been able to study the cosmic microwave background of the universe. This has allowed them, in a limited way, to map out the universe. Using these results, they are able to get an idea of what it all looks like in here.
But, the results are hinting at the possibility of our little galaxy being sat at the brink of a giant void in space. “Our results suggest that a universe with a local void is about one hundred million times more likely than a cosmos without one,” said Dr Banik, of the University of Portsmouth. “This means the likelihood of a universe without a void fitting these data is equivalent to a fair coin landing heads 13 times in a row.”
It’s highly likely that our planet is part of a galaxy sat on the edge of a void in space beyond human comprehension in size. This would explain the Hubble Tension situation. Being on the edge of a void would make the universe look like it’s expanding much faster.
Maybe that’s why nobody has reached out to us either. We’re just too far away. That huge, terrifying void we’re teetering on the edge of is just too much for space-faring civilisations.