Two researchers from Australia and New Zealand have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the passage of time in the universe. Geraint Lewis and Brendon Brewer have observed that time after the Big Bang passed more slowly than it does today. This confirms a prediction from Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
Using quasars, Lewis and Brewer found that a billion years after the Big Bang, time in the cosmos passed about five times slower than it does now. While an observer at that time would not have noticed this difference, it is clear from our current perspective.
Einstein’s theory of relativity demonstrates the connection between time and space. It also states that the expansion of the universe causes time in the early universe to appear slower. This phenomenon had only been confirmed up until the time when the universe was half as old as it is today, using supernovae observations.
However, Lewis and Brewer were able to use quasars to look even further back in time. Quasars are bright sources of radiation that surround black holes, and they allow for observations of the early universe. By analyzing 190 quasars observed over the past 20 years, the researchers were able to measure the “ticking” of these objects and demonstrate the influence of the expanding universe.
Their work, published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy, not only confirms Einstein’s prediction about the passage of time but also invalidates previous studies that found no evidence of this phenomenon in quasars. This confirms the nature of quasars and reinforces the notion that they are as far away from us as other analyses suggest.
Overall, this research provides further support for Einstein’s theory of relativity and offers new insights into the nature of time in the universe after the Big Bang.
