Is Dark Energy Tearing Us Apart Atom by Atom?

  • Level: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Chaos' lil bro Order
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Dark energy Energy
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
2 replies · 3K views
Chaos' lil bro Order
Messages
682
Reaction score
2
The Universe is comprised of 75% dark energy, which is thought to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the Universe at large. Dark energy is pervasive everywhere and unlike dark matter which clumps in specific regions, Dark energy is homogenous and isotropically distributed throughout the Universe. ie. The expansion of the Universe occurs everywhere simultaneously, and also occurs at the same rate everywhere. So there is no region in the Universe where there is a so called 'bulge' of expansion. Now think locally. How local? The most local. You. Dark energy pervades all of the Universe. You are an object of matter in this Universe and Dark energy expands the substrate of space on which your atoms themselves 'sit'. Therefore at any given moment, the Universe is trying to tear you apart, one atom at a time, and still we persist. Life overcomes perhaps.
 
Last edited:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
At present the force attributed to dark energy is negligible at a local or even galactic level. The possibility you are describing may occur far in the future, since the expansion of universe leads to an increase in the percentage for dark energy.
 
Math,

Do we know the exact strength of the force attributed to dark energy?

Given the current rate of accelerating expansion of the universe, can we infer the rate at which the percentage of dark energy will increase?