A new survey, released on May 13, 2026, by the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, South Korea, reveals that physicists worldwide are deeply divided on fundamental questions about the universe. The survey, which polled 1,600 physicists from 60 countries, found that only 42% of respondents expressed confidence in the Standard Model of cosmology, which describes the universe's evolution and composition.
The results highlight significant disagreements on key topics. For example, 58% of physicists believe that black holes are physical objects with interiors, while 42% think they are purely mathematical constructs. On dark matter, 45% favor the idea that it consists of undiscovered particles, while 30% think it is a modification of gravity, and 25% are undecided.
Regarding the unification of physics, the survey found that 60% of respondents believe a theory of everything is possible, but only 20% think it will be achieved within the next 50 years. The survey also showed that younger physicists are more skeptical of established theories than their older counterparts.
The survey was conducted online from January to March 2026 and included researchers from all career stages. The full results are published in the journal Nature Physics.
