A Younger Age for the Universe
Charles H. Lineweaver
The age of the universe in the Big Bang model can be calculated
from three parameters: Hubble's constant, h; the mass
density of the universe,
m; and the cosmological
constant, 
. Recent observations of the cosmic
microwave background and six other cosmological measurements reduce the
uncertainty in these three parameters, yielding an age for the universe
of 13.4 ± 1.6 billion years, which is a billion years younger
than other recent age estimates. A different standard Big Bang model,
which includes cold dark matter with a cosmological constant, provides
a consistent and absolutely time-calibrated evolutionary sequence for
the universe.
School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. E-mail: charley{at}bat.phys.unsw.edu.au