Student Proposed Dark Energy Thermodynamic Model
The research, which earned a second prize in 2026, explores if entropy-driven effects can account for cosmic acceleration.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Physics
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In 2026, 14-year-old student Liam Desre won a second prize at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists for research challenging standard dark energy models. The project utilizes simulations to test whether thermodynamic entropy can explain the universe's observed acceleration.
Why it matters
The standard cosmological model currently relies on dark energy to account for 68 percent of the total energy budget of the universe. Testing alternative drivers for cosmic expansion is critical to refining our understanding of large-scale physical phenomena.
The simulation evaluates whether entropy-driven effects can replicate cosmic acceleration, challenging the standard model that assigns 68 percent of the universe's energy budget to dark energy. This research marks a departure from conventional reliance on dark energy constants.
The players
Liam Desre
A 14-year-old student from Kingston, Ontario, who investigates theoretical cosmology and thermodynamic models.
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
An annual competition that showcases self-developed research from high-school-aged students across international borders.
Gurnoor Kaur
A student researcher who received a first prize at the 2026 European Union Contest for Young Scientists.
The details
Desre employed computational simulations to model thermodynamic processes as potential drivers for the expansion of the universe. By focusing on entropy — a measure of disorder within a system — the research investigates if these effects could generate the observed acceleration of space without invoking dark energy. The work was defended through interviews and formal presentations before an expert jury during the competition.
Timeline
2026: Liam Desre won second prize at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Kiel, Germany.
The Tech Race
Modern cosmology relies on the standard cosmological model to define the energy composition of the universe, currently attributing 68 percent to dark energy. Desre's research attempts to bridge the gap between observed cosmic acceleration and thermodynamic entropy simulations.
This development represents a theoretical milestone in research rather than a consumer-facing technology. Observers of scientific progress can follow future updates to this simulation work for potential implications on how we map the expansion of the universe.
The takeaway
This project underscores how young researchers are applying simulation-based methods to tackle core questions in theoretical physics. Interested readers should watch for further developments in entropy-based cosmic models to see if these simulations gain traction in professional peer-reviewed literature.
Further reading
For more on emerging theories in cosmology, see the Physics section.
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