Dr Eleonora Di Valentino, a researcher at the University of Sheffield, will give a public lecture entitled “Cracks in the Standard Cosmological Model: Anomalies, Tensions, and Hints of New Physics” at the Estonian Academy of Sciences on 24 September 2026 at 17:00.
The lecture is suitable for audiences with a wide range of backgrounds and interests in physics, and admission is free. The lecture will be held in English.
The lecture can also be followed via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85118038227?pwd=jbWUeUDlFKeaptXz6USJ1i1UINibK7.1
Meeting ID: 851 1803 8227
Passcode: 1234
The standard model of cosmology, ΛCDM, according to which the Universe consists predominantly of dark energy (Λ) and cold dark matter (CDM), has long served as the foundation for describing the evolution of the Universe, with remarkable success. However, as observations become increasingly precise, persistent discrepancies between the results obtained using different measurement methods are becoming ever more apparent. The best known of these concerns the Hubble constant, which describes the rate of expansion of the Universe: the value inferred from observations of the early Universe does not agree with that measured using nearby galaxies. Although each dataset considered separately may be well described by the ΛCDM model, significant discrepancies emerge when the datasets are interpreted together, raising questions about the model’s internal consistency.
In her lecture, Eleonora Di Valentino will provide an overview of some of the most prominent tensions in modern cosmology and discuss what they might mean. She will present recent results suggesting that dark energy may evolve over time and that dark matter and dark energy may interact with one another. She will also discuss how our conclusions about the Universe are increasingly shaped by researchers’ own choices, including which data to consider and which models to use as a starting point.
The event is part of the third Nordic Cosmology Meeting, taking place from 23 to 25 September.Cracks in the Standard Cosmological Model: Anomalies, Tensions, and Hints of New Physics