Review of Einstein’s Theory of Gravity by Scientists, Excluding Dark Energy

Published on 10/22/2025 | Last updated: 10:10 AM (Mecca Time)

For more than two decades, scientists have discovered the fact that the universe is not only expanding, but this expansion is accelerating, meaning that galaxies are receding from each other at increasing speeds over time.

The common explanation for this phenomenon was based on the existence of a hidden force called “dark energy,” which is believed to constitute approximately 70% of the components of the universe, and is responsible for pushing it towards continuous expansion.

To clarify the idea, imagine throwing a small stone upwards, you will notice that it gradually slows down as it ascends, and then eventually returns downwards, but what if you noticed that the further away it gets from you, the faster it becomes?

In this case, you would assume the existence of a hidden force pushing it upwards, and in this illustrative example, this force represents “dark energy” at the level of the universe.

Alternative to Dark Energy

However, a team of researchers from the “Center for Space Technology and Microgravity” at the University of Bremen in Germany, and “Transilvania University” in Romania, recently presented a completely different explanation for the accelerating expansion of the universe, which is an explanation that does not require the existence of “dark energy” at all, according to the study published in the “Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics”.

This new model relies on a special type of mathematical geometry known as “Finsler geometry”, which is a broader and more flexible geometry than the geometry used by Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

When we talk about “spacetime geometry” or “Finsler geometry”, we mean the mathematical rules that determine how to measure distances, angles, and curvatures between points in space, in other words, “geometry” here is the language that describes the shape of the universe and how it curves or expands.

What is Finsler Geometry?

In the general theory of relativity, spacetime (the fabric that connects space and time) is curved by mass and energy. If you place a heavy star on the cosmic spacetime fabric, it will cause it to curve, just as it happens when you place a heavy iron ball on a pillow or mattress.

“Finsler”, however, expands on this idea, allowing the degree of curvature to vary depending on the direction or movement, meaning that spacetime may not be “symmetrical” in all directions as we think.

“Finsler” geometry appeared in the late nineteenth century as an extension of Riemannian geometry, which is the basis of the general theory of relativity. It was proposed by the German mathematician: “Paul Finsler” in 1918 in his doctoral thesis, when he tried to describe spaces in which distances are not homogeneous in all directions.

Throughout the twentieth century, “Finsler” geometry remained a purely mathematical tool, but it has returned to the forefront in recent decades thanks to physicists who seek to modify the general theory of relativity to explain cosmic phenomena, such as the accelerated expansion of the universe or the asymmetry of gravity.

A Clear Challenge

Using this modified geometry, the team reformulated Einstein’s cosmic equations into a new form they called “Finsler-Friedmann equations”, and when they applied them to the universe, they found that these equations automatically predict the accelerated expansion of the universe, even without adding any “dark energy”.

This new model represents a clear challenge to the standard model of the universe (“Lambda CDM”) which depends on the existence of “dark energy”, and it also expands our current understanding of cosmic gravity, and may help in linking the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, because “Finsler” geometry is sometimes used in models of elementary particles as well.

But on the other hand, this model is still just a mathematical theory that needs to be confirmed through astronomical observations, and therefore there is a need to compare the predictions of “Finsler” geometry with data from the “James Webb” telescope, the “Vera Rubin” Observatory, and measurements of the cosmic microwave background.

If the results match reality, we may be facing a radical shift in our understanding of the universe, similar to the revolution that “Einstein” brought about in 1915.