Could Dark Energy be Caused by a Slow Shift in the Base State?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the nature of dark energy and its potential relationship to the base state of quantum fields. Participants express skepticism about the current understanding of vacuum energy measurements versus theoretical calculations of zero point energy. A key question raised is whether observed vacuum energy could stem from a gradual shift in the base state. The consensus suggests that while many possibilities exist regarding dark energy, any new hypotheses require rigorous calculations to validate them. The conversation highlights the importance of inquiry and the learning process in scientific exploration, even when participants feel uncertain about their knowledge.
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I was thinking about the dark energy. On one side we have people that calculate huge amount of so called zero point energy, due to the fact that the base state of quantum fields have non-zero energy. And there are other people who look through the telescopes and measure a very small vacuum energy. We know that the base state is the lowest possible state, so we cannot expect that it will have any effect, but there is effect.

My question. Is it possible that the observed vacuum energy is a result of a very slow shift of the base state?
 
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C'mon, any answer?

OK. I'll help. Pick a number.

1. What a stupid question!
2. I don't know.
3. I don't care.
4. I don't understand the question.
5. Yes
6. No
7. (free text)

Picking 7 requires explanation, for others any explanation is welcome, but not necessary.
 
I think the correct answer is "shut up and calculate." Right now, so little is known about the nature of dark energy, that almost anything *could* be dark energy. But if you want to propose something, it's up to you to calculate and see what the results would be.

I don't know the subject well enough to understand the question 100%, so if somebody has already excluded your possibility, ignore this post. If it hasn't been excluded yet, start calculating a shifting base state and see what happens.
 
Jack21222 said:
I think the correct answer is "shut up and calculate." Right now, so little is known about the nature of dark energy, that almost anything *could* be dark energy. But if you want to propose something, it's up to you to calculate and see what the results would be.

I don't know the subject well enough to understand the question 100%, so if somebody has already excluded your possibility, ignore this post. If it hasn't been excluded yet, start calculating a shifting base state and see what happens.
I suppose you are correct. But you see, I'm in the process of learning things. I'm still far away from the ability to do more than "shut up". And I'm even further away from the ability to make the necessary observations to collect the necessary data. However that does not help to suppress the ability to generate questions, no matter how stupid they may be. So, I decided to share my total cluelessness. I hope it is not wrong to do so.
 
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recombination_(cosmology) Was a matter density right after the decoupling low enough to consider the vacuum as the actual vacuum, and not the medium through which the light propagates with the speed lower than ##({\epsilon_0\mu_0})^{-1/2}##? I'm asking this in context of the calculation of the observable universe radius, where the time integral of the inverse of the scale factor is multiplied by the constant speed of light ##c##.
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