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Show A8 The Salt Lake Tribune NATION/WORLD Thursday, June 24, 1999 Does ‘Dark Energy’ Pervade Empty Space? Invisible, intangible force may be so powerfulthat it counteracts gravity and causesstars, galaxiesto split apart KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE WASHINGTON — It sounds more like “Star “There is now tantalizing evidencefor an extra repulsion force that overwhelms gravity on cosmic scales,” Wars” than realscience, but astronomers are taking seriously new evidence that a mysterious “dark energy’ pervades empty space. Youcan’t seeit or feel it, but this strange force is so powerful that it counteracts gravity and makes stars and galaxiesfly apartfaster than scientists pre- viously thought. Without it, the universe would have caved in ages ago. “There is nowtantalizing evidence for an extra repulsion force that overwhelms gravity on cosmic scales,” Martin Rees, Britain's astronomer royal, told a symposium at the Library of Congress last week Understanding this force will be “one of the grand challenges for the millennium to come,” said Neta Bahcall, a leading cosmologist at Princeton Universi- iy: In scientific papers and talks, the dark force goes by a variety of exotic names: “cosmic dark energy . - - negative gravity point energy vacuum energy zero- X-matter.”” To describe it, cosmologists have evenrevived the ancient term “quintessence” — the name medieval scholars gave to an invisible substance in which heavenly bodies supposedlyfloated Some scientists equate the force with the “cosmo- logical constant” — a notion proposed more than 80 years ago by Albert Einstein to explain why gravity doesn't cause the universe to collapse ofits own weight The “constant” was a number Einstein inserted in Martin Rees in and outof existence. Britain’s astronomerroyal “Space is a simmering sea of particles living on borrowed time and borrowed energy,” Turner said. “Otherwise empty space is seething with these ENE his equations to make them come out even — a gim- mick your high school math teacher probably would call cheating. The great physicist later repudiated his own idea, callingit his “biggest blunder,” but it has popped up again in respectablescientific circles. A repulsive force is now considered the best way to explain why the universe appears to be expandingeverfaster. In the 70 years since astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered the universe is getting bigger, scientists have debated whether it will continue to grow or slow down, halt and reversecourseunderthe pull of gravity. Early this year, two international teamsof astronomers announcedthat recent observations of supernova — massive exploding stars at extremely great distances — provided convincing evidence that the expansion is not only continuing but also gaining speed. These observations “suggest that the expansion of the universeis accelerating, indicating the existence of a cosmological constant or dark energy,” Princeton's Bahcall wrote in the May 28 issue of Science magazine The supernovaevidenceis forcing a major shakeup in astrophysics,the scienceof space-time, Bahcall gy, there is a competition between the tendency of [vacuum energy] to cause acceleration and the tendency of matter to cause deceleration,” Carroll said. “The ultimate fate of the universe depends on the precise amounts of each component.” As they try to figure out the nature of the dark force, astronomers who usually deal with outer space are drawing on the latest theories of inner space — the weird world of subatomic physics. Modern physics teaches that a vacuum, such as space, is not really empty, but ratheris filled with infinitesimally small particles that constantly flicker said. “The most popular explanationis that space itself could have additional properties, a kind of springi- ghostly entities,” astrophysicists Fred Adams of the University of Michigan and Greg Laughlin of the ness, an energy, a negative pressure, that tends to new book, The Five Ages of the Universe. “The energy required to make these particles is borrowed from the vacuum and then quickly repaid whenthe particles annihilate each other and subse- make space expandallbyitself,” Robert Kirshner, associate director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., said at a NASA science briefing. Thoughthis exotic form of energy is difficult to measure, astronomersbelieve it dominates the uni- verse. Thebest available data indicate that matter — at- oms, chairs, trees, people, planets and stars — makes up barely one-third of the universe, according to Michael Turner, chairman of the departmentof astronomyand astrophysics at the University of Chicago. The remaining two thirds consists of gravity-defying negative energy, such as Einstein’s cosmological constant. “We need the cosmological constant to balance the books, since matter makes up only 35 percent of the density of the universe,” Turne: E ‘The balancing act was described by Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at the University of California, San Diego, as a tug of war. “In a universe with both matter and vacuum ener- University of California, Berkeley, declared in their quently disappear back into nothingness,” Adams and Laughlin explained. It is these particles, they believe, that create the “negative pressure” that drives the universe to expandatan acceleratingrate. Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Cen- ter in Huntsville, Ala., and at Lockheed Martin, the giant aerospace company headquartered in Bethes- da, Md., are tinkering with possible ways to extract useful sources of power from the vacuum — ulltimately perhaps driving spaceshipsto the stars. Although dreams ofinterstellar voyages fueled by anti-gravity are probably at least a century away from being fulfilled, the idea of some such dark force, once considered outlandish, is now in the scientific mainstream. “We have to take it seriously,” said Harvard’s Kirshner. New Las Vegas Mayor, Ex-Mob Lawyer, Says His Past Will Help Boost Tourism Oscar Goodman unapologetic about his history of defending Mafia kingpins KNIGHT-RIDDERNEWS SERVICE LAS VEGAS — Nicknamed the “Big O,” or more derisively, ‘the mob's mouthpiece,” he has defended someof the most notorious gangsters of the past three decades. Oneof his clients — whom he defended for 15 years until the gangster was savagely beaten and buried alive in an Indiana corn- field — was suspected of 22 murders, including crushing the head of a suspected informerin a vice until his eyeballs popped. He helped the mob’s clever money man. Meyer Lansky. escape standingtrial on charges of organizing a casino-skimming racket, arguing his health wasn't uptoit He told one mobster, when asked, that his trial would go much better if the star witness didn't testify. The witness turned up dead Meet Oscar Goodman, former mob lawyer, who on Monday be- comes the new mayorof Las Ve- gas. Roguish, personable and un abashed about his past. Goodman has been defending mobsters since the bad old days of ’Sin City,” when gambling cheats were beaten senseless, when wiseguys skimmed the casino profits for their overlords in Chicago, when family values meant something quite different from those dis: cussed in a Dan Quaylespeech So why should the man who shilled for the mobbeleading the city? Because in a fair and square election this month, 64 percent of Las Vegasvoterscast their ballots for him. reputed mob figures grew, although hesays they only amounted to about 5 percent of his practice. His most infamous client proba- bly was mob muscleman Tony “the Ant” Spilotro, the Chicago outfit’s reputed point man in Las Vegas. Suspected during his career of 22 homicides, he was defended by Goodman from 1972 But Goodman'sslick, expensive campaign trumped Adamsen, a maappealedto voters, cal observers, as did his promise to rein in break-neck growth that has brought big-city problems to Las Vegas: traffic, pollution overcrowdedschools. in jail In “Casino,” the 1995 Martin The Chamber of Commerceendorsed Adamsen, but soon the casinos lined up behind Goodman Scorsese film, Spilotro is played by Joe Pesci. Goodman, in a coupleof cameos, plays himself Joseph Yablonsky, the FBI agentin chargeof Las Vegas from 1980 to 1984. doesn’t think much of the city’s mayor-elect. When Spilotro, defended by Goodman, was tried for murder in Chicago, he opted to appear only before a judge, not a jury. He was a acquitted, Yablonsky said, suggesting the trial was rigged ~A year and a half or two years later.” he said. “that judge was nailed in an FBI sting on corruption. odman discounts Yab- pouring thousandsinto a $3 mil- lion race, the most expensive in the city’s history And despite worries that his election could hindertourism, the city’s lifeblood, many thinkit will have little bearing In a pre-election letter to the Schaefer summed it up this way Most of America thinks the Ma- fia controls our town. and maybe electing Oscar would prove to them that they are right: but money, to see what it’s like. Goodman agrees. He believes His election already has drawn at- tention from all quarters, hesaid was fromPresident Clinton to some of Goodman'srival for mayor. Ar- dio interviewer. “They don't run and hide from them FREEclassic movie videosto first 50visitors! and that can only boost tourism agentwasnogoodforthecity and The peopleI represent wavehel. lo topolicecars,” hetold one ra Friday 4-8, Saturday 10-5 Bring any 1940's to 1970's yearbook for FREE ReunionT-Shirt! his ‘mystique,’ as heputs it, only will increase a worldwide buzz about theneon cityin the desert nie Adamsen, hammeredat Good. man’s past during the campaign. Classic Cars on Display they'll comeherein droves, with Goodman said the former FBI “run out of town.’ cure Invitedbo lhe test Reunion o 1999. editor, Las Vegas resident Mike lonsky’s allegations. The Chicago prosecutor. he said, also agreed to forgo a jury. As for Yablons ionVi e OpensTomorrow! i said politi- until his murder in 1987. Never. in those years,did he spend a day Re humdrum career politician who paled next to the flamboyant lawyer. Goodman's charm and charis- 100TH SOUTH 13TH WEST 446-8200 NEXT TO JORDAN RIVER TEMPLE his oldacquaintances whostill are locked up They wanted to know if, as mayor, I could give thema par- 4 DECORATED MODELS OPEN DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY wos Youth Soutn don.” he said, laughing. “I said, no. it doesn't come with the turf. Make a MagicalVisit to Utah's Finest Planned Community » (2 doeunton Ma ANOTHER VILLAGE CAREFREE COMMANITY Visit www.village-communities.com a It was Goodman's first run for public office, and he claims he will be the city’s best mayor ever ‘There's no question about it said Goodman, at <= is hair graying, thinning and combed straight back. His faceis covered with a stubbly white beard. “I've got alittle bit of intellect, and I've got an awful lot of compassion Evenso. somein this city known for glitz, showgirls and high rollers believe the election of a former mob lawyer undercuts Ve. gas’ recent attemptsto dressitself up as a family playland and cover its past as a Mafia money ma chine. For 35 years, the mayor-elect has been here. And when thelocal mobsters gotintotrouble, they of. ten turned to him Take one out for a test palpitation. 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