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from the alas,-none-of-the-authors-was-named-'Jack' dept.
The universe can be a very sticky place, but just how sticky is a matter of debate. That is because for decades cosmologists have had trouble reconciling the classic notion of viscosity based on the laws of thermodynamics with Einstein's general theory of relativity. However, a team from Vanderbilt University has come up with a fundamentally new mathematical formulation of the problem that appears to bridge this long-standing gap.
The new math has some significant implications for the ultimate fate of the universe. It tends to favour one of the more radical scenarios that cosmologists have come up with known as the "Big Rip." It may also shed new light on the basic nature of dark energy.
The new approach was developed by Assistant Professor of Mathematics Marcelo Disconzi in collaboration with physics professors Thomas Kephart and Robert Scherrer and is described in a paper published earlier this year in the journal Physical Review D.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/vu-nmo063015.php
[Also Covered By]: http://phys.org/news/2015-06-cosmic-stickiness-favors-big-rip.html
Original Submission
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 02 2015, @04:18AM
Phys.org pieces seem dubious as often as not, not all that much better than wired.com garbage.