New study says universe expanding faster and is younger

WASHINGTON — A new study by a Nobel-winning astronomer says the universe is expanding faster than it used to, meaning it's about a billion years younger than we thought.

And that's sending a shudder through the world of physics, making astronomers re-think some of their most basic concepts.

At issue is a number called the Hubble constant, a calculation for how fast the universe is expanding.

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Johns Hopkins University astronomer Adam Riess concluded in a scientific journal this week that the figure is 9% higher than the previous calculation.

The trouble is, Riess and others think both calculations are correct.

Confused? That's OK, so are the experts.

So they are looking for the cosmic fudge factors that would help explain it all.