Study claims universe is 27 billion years old and dark matter may be unnecessary

At first glance the universe looks simple and familiar. Stars, dust, gas and the pull of gravity shape what we see in the night sky. Look closer, though, and the picture shifts into mystery.

Questioning dark matter and cosmic age
For decades scientists believed the universe was built on ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy. These unseen forces have shaped textbooks and missions, even though neither has ever been directly detected. Now a study suggests the universe may be very different. Could we explain cosmic behaviour without the invisible ingredients long assumed essential?

Rajendra Gupta, an astrophysics professor at the University of Ottawa, has proposed a model that challenges this standard view. He argues the universe could be 26.7 billion years old and not require dark matter or dark energy. His work combines two ideas: covarying coupling constants, which suggest natural forces may weaken over time, and tired light, where photons lose energy over vast distances.

What replaces dark matter in this model?
Gupta claims these two concepts together explain why the universe appears to expand faster and why distant light shows redshift. Instead of unseen matter, the explanation lies in changing forces and tired photons. Could this account for galaxy rotation, lensing and cosmic background radiation without dark matter?