Dark Energy's Shifting Power: Scientists Warn of Universe's Potential "Big Crunch"

• Dark energy, an unknown force, drives the universe's accelerated expansion, making up 68-70% of its composition.
• Discovered indirectly by observing the universe's accelerating expansion, a concept rooted in early 20th-century cosmology.
• New research suggests dark energy might be weakening, challenging the long-held "Big Freeze" theory.
• A weakening dark energy could allow gravity to dominate, potentially leading to a "Big Crunch" where the universe contracts and collapses.
• Scientists are concerned about the universe's predictability and are using missions like Euclid and Nancy Grace Roman to study dark energy's stability.

Why It Matters: Scientists are re-evaluating dark energy's stability, raising concerns about the universe's ultimate fate.