An ‘impossible’ discovery of ‘twisted light’ could rewrite laws of physics

Scientists may have uncovered hints of a perculiar way that ancient light moves across the universe, which, which could offer clues about the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

Dark energy is the name for the strange force which causes the universe to accelerate over time, rather than slow down. Dark matter are particles that do not absorb, reflect, or emit light, making them undetectable; they comprise 85 per cent of the matter in the universe and a quarter of its mass.

The new findings, from the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS) at the University of Tokyo and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), examine the background microwave radiation that exists in the universe following the Big Bang and their symmetry.

The current laws of physics are thought to function in the same way in one system as they would in another system where all spatial coordinates are flipped. This symmetry is called “parity”.