宇宙实际上可能是一个巨大的循环

新的研究表明，宇宙实际上可能是一个巨大的循环

The universe may actually be curved, like a giant inflated balloon, a new study claims.

一项新的研究称，宇宙实际上可能是弯曲的，就像一个巨大的充气气球。

A study published on Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy examines data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which is the faint echo of the “Big Bang,” to conclude that the universe is not flat. The findings, however, contradict years of conventional wisdom in astronomy.

周一发表在《自然天文学》(Nature Astronomy)杂志上的一项研究对来自宇宙微波背景辐射(CMB)的数据进行了分析，得出的结论是，宇宙不是平的。宇宙微波背景辐射是“大爆炸”的微弱回声。然而，这些发现与多年来天文学的传统智慧相矛盾。

According to researchers, if the universe is curved, that curve is a gentle one.

根据研究人员的说法，如果宇宙是弯曲的，那么这条曲线就是平缓的。

The idea that if you traveled far out into space beyond our galaxy moving in a straight line — you’d eventually be back where you started — is known as a “closed universe.”

如果你在银河系以外的太空中以直线运动，你最终会回到你开始的地方，这种想法被称为“封闭的宇宙”。

Most scientists believe instead in the idea of a “flat universe” that extends out in all directions and does not loop in on itself.

相反，大多数科学家相信“平坦的宇宙”的概念，它向各个方向延伸，而不是围绕自身循环。

Researchers claim to have found an anomaly in the CMB, which provides crucial information about the universe.

研究人员声称在宇宙微波背景中发现了一个异常现象，它提供了关于宇宙的重要信息。

The latest data reportedly shows that there’s significantly more “gravitational lensing” of the CMB than expected — meaning that gravity seems to bend the microwaves of the CMB more than existing physics can explain.

据报道，最新的数据显示，宇宙微波背景辐射的“引力透镜效应”比预期的要大得多——这意味着，引力对宇宙微波背景辐射的弯曲作用似乎比现有物理学所能解释的要大得多。

Sapienza University of Rome cosmologist Alessandro Melchiorri explained to Live Science that the closed-universe model would raise a range of problems for the field of physics.

罗马大学的宇宙学家亚历山德罗·梅尔基奥里向《生活科学》杂志解释说，封闭宇宙模型会给物理学领域带来一系列问题。