University of Ottawa Study Shows Universe May Be 26.7 Billion Years Old Without Dark Matter

A new University of Ottawa study suggests an alternative cosmological model in which the universe is 26.7 billion years old and operates without the need for dark matter or dark energy. The research, titled "A Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Consistency Test of the CCC+TL Cosmology," was published in the journal Universe. Throughout 2025 and 2026, Rajendra Gupta, adjunct professor in uOttawa's Department of Physics, alongside postdoctoral researcher Dr. Nikolaos Samaras, tested the model against major astronomical observations.

The CCC+TL framework stands for covarying coupling constants plus tired light. According to this alternative hypothesis, phenomena typically attributed to dark matter and dark energy may instead arise from evolving fundamental constants governing particle and force interactions. Scientists have searched for dark matter and dark energy for decades without direct detection, while the standard cosmological model, known as ΛCDM, faces questions regarding unexpectedly mature early galaxies.

“Most emerging models explain only a limited set of observations,” Rajendra Gupta said. “A new model must not conflict with the pillars of cosmology and astrophysics, and our findings meet that challenge, including the yet-to-be-published cosmic microwave background challenge.”

Testing the Alternative Cosmological Model

Because CCC+TL alters the Einstein and Friedmann equations that describe gravity and cosmic expansion, researchers had to develop specific equations and code rather than simply modifying existing computer models. The results showed agreement with several major observations. Predictions for light elements like hydrogen and helium formed after the Big Bang matched the standard model, alongside cosmic-chronometer measurements tracking expansion rates.

Additional applications of the model to all 175 galaxies in the SPARC database successfully reproduced rotation curves without dark matter. Furthermore, the researchers noted that early galaxies under CCC+TL would be roughly 4.6 billion years old during cosmic dawn, compared to roughly 300 million years in the standard model. “Impossible early galaxies become predictable galaxies,” Rajendra Gupta explained. “We predict that galaxies exist well beyond the distances the James Webb Space Telescope has reached.”

“The success should encourage astronomers to take the new model seriously. It is challenging to understand and apply, but we believe it extends the physics of the universe beyond ΛCDM limits,” Rajendra Gupta concluded.