For decades, scientists have puzzled over dark energy, the mysterious force that makes up nearly 70% of the Universe and drives its accelerating expansion.<\/p>\n
Now, a study suggests that black holes \u2013 once thought to be cosmic dead ends \u2013 may actually be the engines producing elusive dark energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Using cutting-edge data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument<\/a> (DESI), researchers propose that when stars collapse into black holes, matter could be transformed into dark energy, rewriting our understanding of how the Universe evolves.<\/p>\n The power of DESI\u2019s \u20185,000 eyes\u2019<\/p>\n DESI, based at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona on land stewarded by the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation, is no ordinary telescope.<\/p>\n Equipped with 5,000 robotic eyes, the instrument can simultaneously capture light from thousands of galaxies, switching targets every 15 minutes.<\/p>\n Since beginning operations, DESI has already mapped more than 40 million galaxies, assembling the most detailed 3D map of the cosmos ever attempted.<\/p>\n The project is a massive international collaboration of over 900 scientists across 70 institutions, led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.<\/p>\n Researchers at Durham University and collaborators have now combined DESI\u2019s data with observations of the cosmic microwave background<\/a> (CMB) to explore the nature of dark energy.<\/p>\n Black holes as cosmic power plants<\/p>\n The team\u2019s bold model proposes that when stars collapse into black holes, the extreme conditions trigger a transformation of matter into dark energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n This process is thought to evolve naturally alongside the cosmic star formation rate, offering a mechanism that aligns with both the early and modern Universe.<\/p>\n If confirmed, this theory would mean black holes are not only consumers of matter but also engines fuelling the Universe\u2019s expansion.<\/p>\n It marks a radical departure from the long-standing assumption that dark energy has been constant over time.<\/p>\n Neutrinos and a cosmic mismatch<\/p>\n