--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The original project began because we…" description: "\"The original project began because we know the universe is expanding. Everybody had assumed that gravity would slow down the expansion of the universe ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/saul-perlmutter-21740_actually_the-original-project-began-because-we-kn_2198098.png" --- # The original project began because we know the universe is… ![“The original project began because we know the universe is expanding. Everybody had assumed that gravity would slow down the expansion of the universe and everything would come to a halt and collapse. The big surprise was it was actually speeding up.” quote by Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/saul-perlmutter-21740_actually_the-original-project-began-because-we-kn_2198098.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/saul-perlmutter-21740_actually_the-original-project-began-because-we-kn_2198098.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/saul-perlmutter-21740_actually_the-original-project-began-because-we-kn_2198098.png) > “The original project began because we know the universe is expanding. Everybody had assumed that gravity would slow down the expansion of the universe and everything would come to a halt and collapse. The big surprise was it was actually speeding up.” [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discovery that the universe's expansion is accelerating, contrary to expectations that gravity would decelerate it. **In simple terms:** The cosmos is speeding up, not slowing down. Key Takeaway Accept that unknown forces drive cosmic acceleration. Themes cosmology dark energy expansion science discovery paradigm shift Mood wonder curiosity inquisitive Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - research proposals - educational curricula - public outreach - policy funding - philosophical inquiry Key Concepts accelerating universe dark energy observational astronomy Questions to Reflect On - What does accelerating expansion imply for the universe's fate? - How can we test dark energy theories? A Different Perspective Alternative explanations like modified gravity exist but lack consensus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Assumed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumed/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Began](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/began/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big sur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-sur/) [Collapse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collapse/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Expanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expanding/) [Expansion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expansion/) [Gravity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravity/) [Gravity Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravity-slow-3183931/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Halt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halt/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Project Began](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project-began-4593374/) [Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slow/) [Speeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speeding/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-come-236556/) [Universe Expanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-expanding-320269/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [You might expect gravity would slow it down, but it's just expanding faster and faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/you-might-expect-gravity-would-slow-it-down-but-it-s-just-expanding/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [The first turning point, when I stopped doing things by myself and the Bastille project began, was the inclusion of more electronic music into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/the-first-turning-point-when-i-stopped-doing-things-by-myself-and-the/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [“we live in a disconcerting world. Trying to comprehend what we see around us, we ask ourselves: what is the universe made of? and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-abalos/we-live-in-a-disconcerting-world-trying-to-comprehend-what-we-see/) [Rafael Abalos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-abalos/) > [In the beginning there were only probabilities. The universe could only come into existence if someone observed it. It does not matter that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-beginning-there-were-only-probabilities-the-universe-could/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And if any of these forces were in the slightest degree different, our universe would not exist. But how were the values of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/and-if-any-of-these-forces-were-in-the-slightest-degree-different-our/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [Stand in that reverent attitude to the whole universe, and then will come perfect non attachment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/stand-in-that-reverent-attitude-to-the-whole-universe-and-then-will/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [When we try to look farther into the universe we come to what appears to be the end of space but actually it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/when-we-try-to-look-farther-into-the-universe-we-come-to-what-appears/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The Big Bang is our modern scientific creation myth. It comes from the same human need to solve the cosmological riddle \[Where did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-big-bang-is-our-modern-scientific-creation-myth-it-comes-from-the/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with colour, bountiful with life. Within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/after-sleeping-through-a-hundred-million-centuries-we-have-finally/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Where Did the Universe Come From?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/where-did-the-universe-come-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-are-going-to-die-and-that-makes-us-the-lucky-ones-most-people-are-3/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What is meditation? When you empty yourself and let the universe come in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/what-is-meditation-when-you-empty-yourself-and-let-the-universe-come/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [“Make plans. Train your body. Follow the guiding spirits. Be ready for anything, but never seek control. It's an illusion. You control nothing. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-rivera/make-plans-train-your-body-follow-the-guiding-spirits-be-ready-for/) [Gabby Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-rivera/) > [“The Cosmos extends, for all practical purposes, forever. After a brief sedentary hiatus, we are resuming our ancient nomadic way of life. Our remote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-cosmos-extends-for-all-practical-purposes-forever-after-a-brief/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The laws of physics must provide a mechanism for the universe to come into being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-wheeler-iii/the-laws-of-physics-must-provide-a-mechanism-for-the-universe-to-come/) [John P. Wheeler III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-wheeler-iii/) ## More by Saul Perlmutter > [This is the kind of discovery that resonates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/this-is-the-kind-of-discovery-that-resonates/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [I was one of those kids who always thought that we should know how the world works around us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/i-was-one-of-those-kids-who-always-thought-that-we-should-know-how/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [What we were seeing was a little bit like throwing the apple up in the air and seeing it blast off into space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/what-we-were-seeing-was-a-little-bit-like-throwing-the-apple-up-in/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [Astronomers ought to be able to ask fundamental questions without accelerators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/astronomers-ought-to-be-able-to-ask-fundamental-questions-without/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [We have a remarkably complete picture in many ways - and it could be that we're not accounting for something that's almost three-quarters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/we-have-a-remarkably-complete-picture-in-many-ways-and-it-could-be/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [You might expect gravity would slow it down, but it's just expanding faster and faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/you-might-expect-gravity-would-slow-it-down-but-it-s-just-expanding/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [You don't want to come out with anything that's wrong, of course, in a scientific, you know, a major scientific announcement, and so you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/you-don-t-want-to-come-out-with-anything-that-s-wrong-of-course-in-a/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [Your job as a scientist is to figure out how you're fooling yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/your-job-as-a-scientist-is-to-figure-out-how-you-re-fooling-yourself/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [It seemed like my favourite kind of job - a wonderful chance to ask something absolutely fundamental: the fate of the Universe and whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/it-seemed-like-my-favourite-kind-of-job-a-wonderful-chance-to-ask/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [There are still so many questions to answer. When you look at any part of the universe, you have to feel humbled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/there-are-still-so-many-questions-to-answer-when-you-look-at-any-part/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [It's an unusual opportunity, a chance for so many people to share in the excitement and the fun of the fact that we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/it-s-an-unusual-opportunity-a-chance-for-so-many-people-to-share-in/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [I will say that growing up as a kid in an urban environment and having lived in cities all my life, the one achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/i-will-say-that-growing-up-as-a-kid-in-an-urban-environment-and/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [I am delighted, excited, and deeply honored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/i-am-delighted-excited-and-deeply-honored/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [For almost a century, the Universe has been known to be expanding as a consequence of the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/for-almost-a-century-the-universe-has-been-known-to-be-expanding-as-a/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [So it's possible that someday, by understanding a little bit more about how the world works, it will come back to help us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/so-it-s-possible-that-someday-by-understanding-a-little-bit-more/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) [Explore all 28 Saul Perlmutter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. 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Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. 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