Cosmology and Convention

Abstract

I argue that some important elements of the current cosmological model are "conventionalist" in the sense defined by Karl Popper. These elements include dark matter and dark energy; both are auxiliary hypotheses that were invoked in response to observations that falsified the standard model as it existed at the time. The use of conventionalist stratagems in response to unexpected observations implies that the field of cosmology is in a state of "degenerating problemshift" in the language of Imre Lakatos. I show that the "concordance" argument, often put forward by cosmologists in support of the current paradigm, is weaker than the convergence arguments that were made in the past in support of the atomic theory of matter or the quantization of energy.

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• Gas dynamics in dwarf galaxies as testbeds for dark matter and galaxy evolution
• Model Comparison of $\Lambda$CDM vs $R_h=ct$ using Cosmic Chronometers
• The radial acceleration relation in galaxy clusters
• A test of cosmic distance duality relation using SPT-SZ galaxy clusters, Type Ia supernovae, and cosmic chronometers
• A search for the variation of speed of light using galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements
• Dark energy and dark matter unification from dynamical space time: observational constraints and cosmological implications
• Lorentzian Quintessential Inflation
• Quintessential Inflation from Lorentzian Slow Roll
• Strong Hydrogen Absorption at Cosmic Dawn: the Signature of a Baryonic Universe
• String theory, Einstein, and the identity of physics: Theory assessment in absence of the empirical
• Scaling relations for dark matter core density and radius from Chandra X-ray cluster sample
• Integrating Dark Matter, Modified Gravity, and the Humanities
• Probing the dark matter density evolution law with large scale structures
• Constraints on Self-Interacting dark matter from relaxed galaxy groups
• Galaxy rotation curve in hyperconical universes: a natural relativistic MOND
• What if the universe expands linearly? A local general relativity to solve the "zero active mass" problem
• A test of invariance of dark matter halo surface density using multiwavelength mock galaxy catalogues
• Proposal for a degree of scientificity in cosmology
• Conventionalism, cosmology and teleparallel gravity
• Why did the dark matter hypothesis supersede modified gravity in the 1980s?
• MOND and Methodology
• A test of linearity of the ratio of dark matter to baryonic matter in galaxy clusters
• A test of galaxy cluster fundamental plane for the X-COP sample
• Comparison of HMG and flat rotation velocities inferred from galaxy-galaxy weak lensing
• A test of invariance of halo surface density for FIRE-2 simulations with cold dark matter and self-interacting dark matter
• Distinct radial acceleration relations of galaxies and galaxy clusters supports hyperconical modified gravity
• Hydrostatic equilibrium of X-ray gas in X-COP clusters with HMG
• Determination of the best dark matter profile for the Milky Way with Gaia DR3 using Bayesian Model Comparison
• A test of MOND and Emergent Gravity with SMACS J0723.3-7327 using eROSITA observations