perfidy

I've mentioned a couple times that I think modern cosmology is a little addlepated.  Here is a classic example of why I think this:

IT'S the ultimate sleeper agent. An energy field lurking inactive since the big bang might now be causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

In the late 1990s, observations of supernovae revealed that the universe has started expanding faster and faster over the past few billion years. Einstein's equations of general relativity provide a mechanism for this phenomenon, in the form of the cosmological constant, also known as the inherent "dark energy" of space-time. If this constant has a small positive value, then it causes space-time to expand at an ever-increasing rate. However, theoretical calculations of the constant and the observed value are out of whack by about 120 orders of magnitude.

To overcome this daunting discrepancy, physicists have resorted to other explanations for the recent cosmic acceleration. One explanation is the idea that space-time is suffused with a field called quintessence. This field is scalar, meaning that at any given point in space-time it has a value, but no direction. Einstein's equations show that in the presence of a scalar field that changes very slowly, space-time will expand at an ever-increasing rate.

120 orders of magnitude is indeed a daunting discrepancy.  Like how they almost slipped that by you?  Now, if your predicted and observed values are in the ballpark - say, within a standard deviation - you might think you've got it nailed.  If your predictions are on the close order of your observed results, well, you might be on to something, but the theory might need some work.

If you're off by a factor of 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000.  There's another word for the relation between your predictions and the real world.  Nonewhatsofuckingever.  You're wrong, start over.  Don't try and wedgie your theory to overcome that sort of gap.  If you were aiming at a man-sized target at a range of fifty yards with that sort of accuracy you'd hit the fucking Andromeda galaxy, and I think I'm underestimating the effect of that many zeroes.

Seriously.

[wik] I hope that the journo who wrote that got the number wrong, or was picking his nose when all this was explained to him.  'Cause 120 orders of magnitude is huge.  Huge.