Quantum spacetime may explain the universe’s mysterious expansion without dark energy
A new study in quantum cosmology suggests the universe’s expansion may arise directly from the quantum nature of spacetime itself. Researchers have developed a framework combining quantum gravity and cosmology that explains both early inflation and late-time accelerated expansion without invoking an unknown dark energy component.
The team explored Group Field Theory (GFT), a quantum gravity approach where spacetime emerges from fundamental building blocks. By applying GFT condensates—collective quantum states—they derived cosmological dynamics without assuming pre-existing spacetime. This method naturally produced Friedmann dynamics, the equations governing the universe’s expansion.
This work provides a unified explanation for inflation and dark energy by linking them to quantum spacetime. The findings suggest that cosmic expansion may not require an external energy source but instead emerges from fundamental quantum gravity processes. The study’s alignment with observational data, such as DESI’s results, opens new avenues for testing quantum cosmology theories.
