Some people think modern astronomy’s convoluted theory of “dark matter” and “dark energy” is based on a kludge similar to Ptolemy’s theory of epicycles. If something else is actually causing those effects, the whole theoretical edifice would come crashing down.

According to a paper just published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, irregularities in the cosmic microwave background may have been misinterpreted. They may have been caused by inverse Compton scattering (hot gas boosts the energy of the microwaves) rather than dark mattter and dark energy.