Dark energy could be created inside black holes, scientists claim

An artist impression, released November 2022 by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), of how it might look when a star approaches too close to a black hole and is squeezed by the intense gravitational pull. Photograph: European Southern Observatory/AFP/Getty Images

Nothing sucks more than a supermassive black hole, but according to a group of researchers, the enormous objects found at the heart of many galaxies may be driving the expansion of the cosmos.

The radical claim comes from an international team who compared growth rates of black holes in different galaxies. They conclude that the spread of masses observed could be explained by black holes bearing cores of “dark energy”, the mysterious force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe.