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Bringing Dark Energy to Light
Intricate astronomical charts were flying, hasty calculations were churning, and anxious scientists were scurrying. Such was the atmosphere in August, 2006 at all pristine observatories around the world. What was the special occasion? For the first time in the modern telescopic era, a pair of hundred-million year old galaxies was set to collide creating enough of a disturbance to take the fundamental readings required to increase our knowledge of the Universe. The main epiphany formed from these readings confirmed the existence of the theorized dark energy. Although seemingly simple, this revelation opened a door to a larger topic, the question, "What exactly is dark energy?".

To solve this Holy Grail of quantum mechanics would completely revolutionize physics as we know it. However, like most concepts in physics, this is easier said than done. Keeping the Law of Conservation of Energy in mind, the 2006 discovery indicates that there is some unknown energy in the Universe that is responsible for accelerating the expansion of our Universe. Most scientists theorize this mysterious source to be dark energy (not to be confused with dark matter). Dark energy is formally defined as an unidentified energy or substance that exerts a kind of anti-gravity force on the Universe as a whole. One way to observe the needed interactions is through the indirect examination of black holes. On the surface of a black hole, we know that Laws of Conservation of Energy, Angular Momentum, and Entropy are adhered to, yet the properties of the inside of a black hole along with that of the mysterious Higgs boson, remain enigmas to scientists. Knowledge of these concepts is fundamental to comprehend the nature of known energy which will pave the way to the comprehension of dark energy.
Science will undergo a paradigm shift if the problem of understanding dark energy can be solved. If the power of dark energy could be grasped and harnessed, all of humanity's energy limitations would become instantaneously irrelevant. Since the Universe is expanding, the amount of dark energy, already three-fourths of the Universe's total energy, will only serve as a bottomless well of a virtually never-ending fuel source. Fuel shortages, power blackouts, and energy crisis will become a thing of the past. Furthermore, the abundance of such a vast potential power source in space would only beckon for increased efforts in the journey to explore and possibly colonize extra-terrestrial planets. This single discovery could lead to astonishing advancements in many of the seemingly "sci-fi" areas such as space-time travel and teleportation, once reserved solely for Star-Trek episodes.
Millions of light years away, two clashing galaxies may have possibly sparked an explosion of ideas on Earth. This impending discovery would present a cosmic energy source, liberating the world from the growing dependence on modern finite fuel sources. Space-time travel on inter-galactic highways and advancements that previously seemed unattainable can now be achieved merely through deciphering this cosmic conundrum. Finally, we can give Scotty a chance to beam us up.

Learn more about this author, Aditya Shrivastava.
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