An illustration of a computer-rendered cosmos. A new suite of AI algorithms could help describe the nature of the universe with unprecedented accuracy, a new study claims. (Image credit: Denys Semenchenko via Getty Images) Share this article 0 Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A newly developed technique could teach AI algorithms to see the universe with unprecedented clarity — potentially exposing the cracks in our understanding of the cosmos.
Our cosmic rulebook, known as the standard cosmological model, has done an unparalleled job of describing the universe, accounting for everything from its accelerating expansion to galaxy formation. But even the best explanations need robust, independent checks, and that's where genetic algorithms come in.
But even the most powerful tools have their blind spots. For genetic algorithms, that blind spot has always been about seeing subtle changes in the cosmos. The overall picture might look good, but the derivatives — crucial measurements of how quickly things are changing — get wobbly.
For traditional genetic algorithms, these insights into rates of change are incredibly fragile. The "best-fit" function, which nails the observed data, often struggles with nonobservable quantities involving these derivatives. It's like trying to navigate a dense fog; the algorithm risks getting stuck in a deceptive patch that seems like the perfect solution but isn't the real deal.
So how do we equip our cosmic explorers with sharper vision?In a paper published to the preprint server arXiv in February, researchers propose an answer: a new strategy to teach our algorithms to see the universe with unprecedented clarity.
Related stories- The universe may end trillions of years sooner than we thought
- 'The universe has thrown us a curveball': Largest-ever map of space reveals we might have gotten dark energy totally wrong
- 'The dream has come true': Standard model of cosmology holds up in massive 6-year study of the universe — with one big caveat
Known as GAME (short for "Genetic Algorithms with Marginalised Ensembles), this ingenious update doesn't rely on a single algorithm. Instead, it unleashes a whole squad. Imagine a council of cosmic detectives, each tackling the puzzle slightly differently. Then, GAME applies ensemble averaging, taking a weighted average of their solutions. Each algorithm's answer gets a weight based on its data fit and the smoothness of the resulting function.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsThe results are nothing short of spectacular. For reconstructing a test function, GAME showed a solid 20% improvement in overall accuracy. But here's the real punch: For those elusive derivatives, GAME delivered a jaw-dropping 95% improvement in accuracy. That's like trading blurry binoculars for the sharpest cosmic lens imaginable, especially for watching the universe change.
The methodology is already reconstructing the universe's expansion rate, known as the Hubble constant, using data from cosmic chronometers, which are essentially natural clocks. And the early results are perfectly compatible with our existing cosmological model. With this newfound precision, GAME is like a telescope into the future of cosmology.
Imagine what this sharper vision means for unraveling the universe's grandest puzzles. As new data from observatories like the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument floods in, GAME is poised to become an even more competitive tool. It will help us discriminate between different models of how the cosmos works, allowing for clearer answers and crucial model-independent consistency tests.
While the full impact of data correlations is still a frontier, the journey has only just begun.
Paul SutterAstrophysicistPaul M. Sutter is a research professor in astrophysics at SUNY Stony Brook University and the Flatiron Institute in New York City. He regularly appears on TV and podcasts, including "Ask a Spaceman." He is the author of two books, "Your Place in the Universe" and "How to Die in Space," and is a regular contributor to Space.com, Live Science, and more. Paul received his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011, and spent three years at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, followed by a research fellowship in Trieste, Italy.
View MoreYou must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Logout LATEST ARTICLES
1'Their greatest challenge since they stared down the asteroid': Paleontologist Steve Brusatte on why birds are facing their biggest existential threat since the dino-killing asteroid- 2Drilling has begun at our sacred site Pe' Sla, setting a dangerous precedent for Indigenous lands across the country. It must be stopped.
- 3'He began to cry, and almost fell to the floor': The fluffy fossil that finally showed the world that birds are dinosaurs
- 4New data center will be partially powered by human brain cells for the first time
- 5DwarfLab Dwarf Mini smart telescope review
