For centuries, humanity has pondered one of its most profound questions: how did we get here? A new scientific project based in the UK may be bringing us closer than ever to an answer, by recreating the universe itself, as reported by Indy100
In a groundbreaking effort to understand how the cosmos developed after the Big Bang, a team of scientists is running a series of ultra-advanced computer simulations designed to mirror the universe’s evolution. The project, called FLAMINGO (short for Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations), is based at the DiRAC High Performance Computing Facility in the UK.
These simulations are not just large—they’re astronomical in scale. The largest model in the series contains over 300 bn particles, representing dark matter, regular matter, and neutrinos. The mass involved in the simulation is comparable to that of a small galaxy, making it one of the most ambitious cosmological models ever attempted.
The goal of FLAMINGO is to trace the development of cosmic structures—from tiny density fluctuations in the early universe to the vast web of galaxies we observe today. The researchers are particularly focused on resolving a scientific puzzle known as the «sigma-8 tension.» This term refers to discrepancies between measurements of the early universe’s structure, derived from cosmic microwave background radiation, and those observed in the current distribution of galaxies.
In their latest publication, part of a trio of major papers, the scientists reveal that achieving accurate predictions required accounting not just for dark matter (which makes up most of the universe’s mass), but also ordinary matter and neutrinos.
«Although dark matter dominates gravitational effects, the influence of regular matter can no longer be ignored,» explained lead researcher and Leiden University astronomer Joop Schaye. «Its contribution could explain the differences between current models and what we actually observe.»
The findings suggest that subtle factors, previously thought negligible, might play a crucial role in shaping the cosmos. As computing power grows and models like FLAMINGO become more refined, scientists hope to unlock deeper truths about how the universe, and everything in it, came to be.
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