A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect
			
		
		
			Credit & Copyright:  
Umar Mohideen 
(U. California at Riverside)
		
		
			This tiny ball provides evidence that the 
universe will expand forever. 
 
Measuring slightly over one tenth of a millimeter, 
the ball moves toward a smooth plate in response 
to energy fluctuations in the vacuum of empty space.  
The attraction is known as the 
Casimir Effect, named for its 
discoverer, 
who, 50 years ago, was trying to understand why fluids like
mayonnaise move so slowly.  
Today, evidence is accumulating that most of the 
energy density in the universe 
is in an unknown form dubbed 
dark energy.  
The form and genesis of dark energy is almost completely unknown, 
but postulated as related to 
vacuum fluctuations similar to the 
Casimir Effect but generated somehow by space itself.  
This vast and mysterious 
dark energy appears to gravitationally repel all matter and hence will likely cause the universe to expand forever.  
Understanding vacuum fluctuations is on the forefront of research 
not only to better understand our universe 
but also for 
stopping micro-mechanical machine parts from sticking together.