Dark Matter Dismissed

Dark Matter Dismissed and the Universe “Aged” to 27 Billion Years: What Does the Bible Say?

A new study from physicist Rajendra Gupta at the University of Ottawa is making headlines. According to the report on Earth.com, dark matter and dark energy—the invisible scaffolding that modern cosmology has long depended on—may not exist at all. Instead, Gupta proposes a model combining “covarying coupling constants” (CCC) and “tired light” (TL). In this view, the fundamental forces of nature weaken over time, and light itself loses energy as it travels across vast distances. The result? The universe is not the 13.8 billion years old that the standard Big Bang model claims, but roughly 27 billion years old. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of surprisingly mature early galaxies are said to fit this revised timeline without needing mysterious dark components.

At first glance, it sounds like a bold challenge to the prevailing scientific narrative. Secular cosmology has spent decades building its house on unseen dark matter (about 27% of the universe by their math) and dark energy to explain galaxy rotation curves, gravitational lensing, and cosmic acceleration. Now one researcher says those crutches are unnecessary. Yet even as the theory discards one set of assumptions, it doubles down on another: deep time. Billions upon billions of years are still required.

We have seen this pattern repeatedly. Secular science continually adjusts its models to fit new data—whether it is JWST surprising astronomers with “impossibly” mature galaxies or Mount St. Helens showing how rapidly layered sediments and canyons can form. Yet the one thing that rarely changes is the underlying commitment to a universe without a Creator who spoke it into existence in six literal days.

God’s Timeless Word Versus Shifting Scientific Theories

The Bible is not silent on the age and origin of the universe. Genesis 1 records that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” and that He formed everything in six days, declaring each stage “good.” Exodus 20:11 reinforces this when God gives the Fourth Commandment: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11, the historical reality of the global Flood in Genesis 6–9, and the eyewitness testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself all point to a young creation—roughly 6,000 years of history from Adam to today.

When we remove the anti-God bias that assumes natural processes alone must explain everything over eons of time, the evidence aligns beautifully with Scripture. We have seen it in the fossil record (Lazarus taxa appearing suddenly, not evolving slowly), in zircon crystals from Jack Hills, in tree-ring data, and in the catastrophic deposits at Spirit Lake and the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. The same Creator who formed the heavens also preserved clear testimony in the rocks and in His written Word.

Gupta’s model highlights a growing crack in the standard cosmological foundation. JWST data has already forced secular scientists to question whether the early universe could have formed galaxies so quickly under the old timeline. “Tired light” and weakening constants are creative attempts to rescue the observations without invoking unseen dark forces. Yet the new theory still requires an ancient universe, 27 billion years instead of 13.8 billion. It trades one set of invisible entities for another set of adjustable parameters. Meanwhile, the plain reading of Genesis stands unmoved.

Why This Matters for Faith and Hope

The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 1:20 that “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” The heavens do declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). But fallen human reasoning, apart from the illuminating light of Scripture, suppresses that truth and builds elaborate systems to explain the universe without its Maker.

We rejoice when any study exposes weaknesses in the reigning secular paradigm. Yet true hope does not come from the latest scientific proposal. It comes from the unchanging Word of the One who “made the stars also” (Genesis 1:16) and who sovereignly controls every force and constant in the cosmos. The same God who judged the world with a global Flood in Noah’s day also provided an ark of salvation. That Flood left unmistakable geological evidence we explore right here at the museum: evidence that testifies both to judgment on sin and to God’s mercy for those who trust Him.

In a world where scientific “facts” about the universe’s age seem to shift with each new telescope or theory, we find solid ground in the Bible. Whether the latest model says 13.8 billion years, 27 billion years, or something else tomorrow, the Creator’s timeline has never changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

If you have never placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One through whom “all things were created” (Colossians 1:16), we invite you to consider the clear testimony of Scripture. The God who formed the universe in six days also stepped into history to die for our sins and rise again, offering forgiveness and eternal life. That is the true source of hope that no cosmological model can ever provide.

Come visit The Flood Museum or explore the articles here. See for yourself how the evidence from geology, fossils, and history aligns with the trustworthy account in Genesis. In a culture adrift in on changing scientific tides, God’s Word remains “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Trust it. Rejoice in it. And find your hope in the Creator who holds the universe—and your future—in His hands.