High atop Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona sits the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the most powerful galaxy-mapping instrument ever built. Scientists hope that by charting the cosmos in unprecedented detail, DESI will finally unveil the secrets behind dark energy — a mysterious force permeating all spacetime that is causing our universe to expand at an ever-accelerated rate. The experiment promises to answer some of the biggest questions of all: What are the fundamental forces of nature? Are they constant through time or do they evolve? And can we ever truly know the ultimate fate of the universe?

Dark Energy & the Ultimate Fate of the Universe