Whiskers of carbon found in ancient meteorites could hold clues to the earliest days of the solar system. More controversially, they might cast a shadow over the concept of dark energy, the unknown force that seems to be accelerating the expansion of the universe.
Fries and Steele also suggest that these whiskers might have been pumped out into deep space by the solar wind, and that the combined whisker output of many young stars might have filled interstellar space with whiskers.
If so, they might have some relevance to dark energy. The unexpected dimness of distant supernova explosions at certain infrared wavelengths was what first led astronomers to the conclusion that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, and the proposal that some form of mysterious "dark energy" is to blame.
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Some questions:
-Do you think this finding poses a threat to the answer that the dark energy theory has provided?
-Do you think that Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland is right, they assume too much in their "whisker" theory?
-Is there a more viable alternative than dark energy that does not include the whisker theory?
-With theories constantly being shot down or changed based on data, should we place our money on any of those cards?
-Is there anything that is constant we can count on?
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