Five Year Mission

After a very long wait, Year 5 results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe have been released. We can test Theory's predictions with the data:

$\Omega$b is the proportion of baryonic matter-the protons, neutrons and electrons that humans are made of.

$\Omega$b = 4.6 +/- 0.2% (Prediction = 4.507034%)

$\Omega$m is the proportion of other mass, the "dark" mass that surrounds the galaxies in haloes and sheets between them.

$\Omega$m = 23.3 +/- 1.3% (Prediction = 23.87%)

The remainder was once called "dark energy," but bloggers like Steinn now say "No Clue." Hint: Look at the voids between sheets of galaxies. The vast majority of the Universe is contained within those voids, and they are far from empty.

Remainder = 72.1 +/- 1.5% (Prediction = 71.62%)

The 4.507034% prediction was published (after a very long wait) in the very short paper of 2004. This slide was prepared for the London conference a year ago. As we can see, predictions match the data for all three parameters within less than half a standard deviation. There are no error bars for a prediction, for mathematics allows us to calculate as many decimal places as we like. These results, and their close fit with the predictions, show why a better Theory of the Universe is slowly spreading.