Space—the final frontier. While scientists have made incredible discoveries about it, there are still plenty of things we’re itching to understand better about space. And some theories are quite controversial! Let’s look at eleven of the most shocking theories about the cosmos and what they might tell us. They’ll all have you looking at the stars in a completely different way.
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The Multiverse Theory
The multiverse theory is the idea that our universe is just one of an endless number of universes, each with its own set of rules. Essentially, it’s a stack of parallel worlds next to each other where things may be wildly different from our own. Some scientists are huge supporters of this idea yet others aren’t convinced. We haven’t found any solid proof, after all.
Dark Matter is Not Real
Many scientists believe in dark matter while others argue that it doesn’t even exist. Instead, they believe we should adjust Newton’s laws of gravity when we’re looking at the cosmos. This idea is known as Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND)—it’s rather out there! The main reason it’s so controversial is the fact that it questions the basic facts we thought we had figured out.
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White Holes
You’ve heard of black holes—some theories suggest that white holes may also exist & they’re basically the opposite of black holes. Instead of eating everything up, they supposedly spit everything out, like matter & light. The issue is that we’ve never actually seen one but it’s quite interesting to imagine!
Time Travel Through Wormholes
Other theories suggest that connecting a black hole and a white hole creates a wormhole that makes time travel possible. But don’t pack your bags for the past just yet. There are plenty of complications involved including the need for something called exotic matter. We’re not even sure that exists!
The Big Rip Scenario
The Big Rip scenario is a theory that the universe’s expansion will speed up so much that it eventually tears everything apart—stars, planets, you name it. It’s quite an alternative to the more commonly accepted end-of-the-universe theories. Whether or not it’s true, it definitely gives us something to think about.
The Planet Nine Hypothesis
Some astronomers are convinced there’s a ninth planet hiding in our solar system that’s far beyond Neptune—and we don’t mean Pluto! Supporters of this theory say this planet is influencing the orbits of distant objects. But the problem is that nobody has actually seen this mysterious Planet Nine nor have they had any clear scientific proof that it exists.
Cosmic Strings
Cosmic strings are theoretical defects in space-time that could be leftovers from the early universe—kinda like how ice cracks when it freezes too fast. If they exist, cosmic strings would allow us to learn more about the universe’s formation & fundamental physics. However, since we’ve never found them, they remain a “what if” scenario.
The Simulation Hypothesis
If you’ve ever felt like life might be a video game, then you’ll be interested in the simulation hypothesis. It suggests we’re living in a simulation created by some higher-tech beings. After all, people in video games don’t know they’re in a video game—what’s to say we’re not the same as them? But until we find a confirmed glitch in the matrix, it’s merely a fun thought experiment.
The Universe Has No Beginning
Many of us have grown up with the Big Bang theory yet some scientists propose that the universe might have always been here in one form or another. It ignores the whole idea of a beginning & suggests the universe is eternal—how confusing is that?! This theory is not something you can really get your head around and honestly, it’s quite scary.
Life Exists in the Clouds of Venus
Venus’s atmosphere is made of acidic clouds that seem to be inhospitable to life. However, scientists have also found on Venus hints of phosphine (a gas linked to life on Earth) and this has led to the theory that Venus might have life. Naturally, it’s controversial since Venus is such a harsh place. But if it’s true, it would change our ideas of life entirely. Who knows where else we might find living things?
The Great Filter
The Great Filter theory suggests there’s a stage in the evolution of life that’s incredibly hard to get past—which may explain why we haven’t found aliens yet. Maybe it’s the jump from single-celled to complex life or perhaps it’s the jump to a civilization that’ll avoid destroying itself. Either way, it’s proof that making it this far might be pretty special. We have to be careful if we want to keep going.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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