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The Universe started out expanding but decelerating because of gravity but according to recent measurements, the more space there is, the more the expasion speeds up; thus, since there is only matter and empty space, the inference is that space itself has the property of repulsion!.

Einstein and Hoyle had a problem with their calculations which persuaded them to embrace "The Cosmological Constant" (basically a fudge) but now it turns out that the greater the vacuum, the more the space & the greater the energy, causing the term "Springy Space" to be coined, an analogy for "anti-gravity" (aarrghhh!) ~ a repulsive force. Quantum Theory predicts that the vacuum of space is literally bursting with energy because it is full of particles popping into existence and then very quickly vanishing, leaving a residual, all-pervasive energy which has the opposite effect to gravity.

Even those scientists and theoretical mathematicians who spend their days and nights worrying about this dark energy admit that they don't actually know very much about it, even though it is said to be the dominant player in the universe. Weirdly, it is right now, during Man's brief appearance in this quadrant of the universe, that the whole shooting match has started to accelerate. It seems that cosmological theories are notoriously prone to collapse. Fair enough. All we have to go on is the light that reaches us.

"Dark Energy" could account for the two thirds of matter of the universe which is still, by our current measuring systems not accounted for and the 97% of visible matter still missing from our observations. The "Two Degree Field Survey" (Royal Observatory, Edinburgh) is an attempt to make a detailed study of the proportions of the matter in the universe, compared to the space in between. A quarter of a million galaxies (reckoned to be a fair sample) are involved in the study and it has been found that "strings" up to 100 million light years long tend to be formed between galaxies as matter attracts other matter into elongated clumps wherever a small positive localised imbalance occurs.

The answer to the question of whether the universe will eventually stop expanding and retreat "back to the middle" or continue to grow now seems to be likely answered. Recent measurements by The Hubble Space telescope of the velocities of extremely distant supernovae indicate that the properties of "springy space" will cause continuous outward acceleration.

Whoopee.