Chronology - 10.00

Q4P∞ (or a derivative thereof) is the Cosmological Constant identified by Albert Einstein in 1917*; Einstein theorized the Cosmological Constant as the counter-force to gravity's otherwise inevitably imploding the universe. [ Actually, it is reverse, i. e. Gravity slows down the forward march of the Cosmological Constant aka Lambda.]

In 1917, Albert Einstein introduced a cosmological constant. This is often done when physics arrives at something they cannot completely explain. If I were to conduct an experiment, I might get an answer different than I predicted. But what do I do if I run different experiments and find my calculations are off by some constant? Well, I simply assign it a name and call it as constant. As long as I have an idea of the value of the constant, from where it came doesn’t matter in my calculations.

In this case, Einstein was wrestling with some unknown counterforce that must be at work to keep the universe from imploding back on itself and he just gave it the Greek symbol for Lambda to use it in his formulas.

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While he didn’t know what it was, he could clearly see its effect on the universe. While gravity was slowing down the growth of the universe, some unseeable force was pushing against gravity to force it to strike a balance of steady growth.

While Einstein could not have foreseen the existence of Q4P, he nonetheless was able to measure its actual force on the universe to keep it in balance and growing.

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