Something unknown appears to be suppressing the growth of the gargantuan structures that connect the universe in a cosmic web, a finding that challenges our current understanding of physics, according to a new study. 

Scientists have presented new observational evidence that large-scale structures, which are enormous filaments and nodes made of gas and dark matter, are growing at a slower rate than predicted by the standard model of cosmology. The growth of these structures may have slowed down in the later eras of the universe, a scenario that could help to explain a major cosmic mystery known as the sigma-8 tension. 

To read more, click here.