Supporting Evidence from Current Science

The Holistic Universe Model makes claims that challenge several established theories. This page collects external scientific evidence — published papers, unresolved problems, and recent observations — that independently support or align with the model’s framework.

1. The 100,000-Year Problem (Still Unsolved)

The dominant ~100,000-year glacial cycle visible in ice core records is one of the most persistent unsolved problems in paleoclimatology. The Holistic Universe Model proposes this signal reflects the inclination precession cycle (~111,296 years), not eccentricity.

Why eccentricity is problematic

Eccentricity changes Earth’s annual insolation by only ~0.2% — far too small to drive major ice ages without invoking unverified amplification mechanisms. Three specific problems persist:

1. Spectral mismatch: Eccentricity’s spectrum shows a split peak at ~95,000 and ~125,000 years. But the climate record shows a single narrow peak near ~100,000 years. These don’t match.

2. The 400,000-year absence: Eccentricity’s theoretically strongest component (~400,000 years) is largely absent from climate records of the past 1.2 million years. If eccentricity drives ice ages, its dominant cycle should appear in the data.

3. The Mid-Pleistocene Transition: Around 1 million years ago, glacial cycles shifted from 41,000 years (obliquity-dominated) to ~100,000 years — with no change in orbital forcing. Multiple competing hypotheses have been proposed; as of 2025, none are certain. This remains “one of paleoclimatology’s great unsolved puzzles.”

Peer-reviewed support: Muller & MacDonald (1997)

The proposal that orbital inclination — not eccentricity — drives the ~100,000-year cycle was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:

“The shape of the peak is incompatible with both linear and nonlinear models that attribute the cycle to eccentricity.” — Muller & MacDonald, PNAS 94(16), 8329–8334 

Their spectral and bispectral analyses showed that Earth’s orbital inclination relative to the invariable plane provides a better match to both the shape and phase of the climate signal.

Recent research (2024–2025)

The 100,000-year problem remains actively debated:

• Barker et al. (2025, Science): Investigated the distinct roles of precession, obliquity, and eccentricity in Pleistocene glacial cycles — still unable to resolve which parameter dominates.
• ESD (2025): Found that “the ~100 kyr spectral peak actually aligns with the 95 kyr eccentricity peak” — showing that even the peak identification itself is debated.
• Lisiecki (2023, Nature Geoscience): Found precession plays a more important role than obliquity during Late Pleistocene ice-sheet changes, further complicating the standard picture.

How the model addresses this

The model proposes the “~100,000-year” signal is actually ~111,296 years — the inclination precession period. The ~10% discrepancy between 100k and 111k may fall within ice core dating uncertainties, particularly since:

• The spectral peak in climate data spans 80–120 ka
• Many deep-time chronologies rely on orbital tuning (adjusting dates to match Milankovitch predictions), which is circular when testing Milankovitch theory
• Non-orbitally-tuned dating methods (O₂/N₂ ratio, U-Th speleothems) could independently test whether the true period is closer to 100k or 111k

2. Fibonacci Ratios in Orbital Mechanics (KAM Theory)

The model’s 13:3 Fibonacci ratio between axial precession (25,684 yr) and inclination precession (111,296 yr) may appear to be a numerical coincidence. However, there is a rigorous theoretical reason for Fibonacci ratios to appear in stable orbital systems.

The KAM Theorem

The Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) theorem (1954–1963) proves that in perturbed dynamical systems, orbits with “most irrational” frequency ratios are maximally stable against perturbation. The key insight:

• Orbits with frequency ratios that are simple fractions (like 2:1 or 3:1) create resonances — repeated gravitational kicks that destabilize the orbit
• Orbits with “irrational” frequency ratios avoid these resonances
• The golden ratio (φ ≈ 1.618), to which successive Fibonacci ratios converge, is the most irrational number in a precise mathematical sense — it is hardest to approximate by ratios of small integers

This means orbits with golden-ratio-related frequencies are the last to become unstable under perturbation.

Observational evidence

Fibonacci ratios appear throughout the solar system and beyond:

• Pletser (2019, Astrophysics and Space Science 364:158): Orbital period ratios in solar planetary and satellite systems preferentially cluster near Fibonacci fractions (~60% vs ~40% for non-Fibonacci). These orbits are associated with more regular, less inclined, and more circular configurations.

• Aschwanden & Scholkmann (2017): Found that the most prevalent harmonic ratios in 73% of 932 exoplanet pairs are Fibonacci fractions (2:1, 3:2, 5:3).

• Kirkwood Gaps: The asteroid belt shows dramatic gaps at simple integer resonances with Jupiter (3:1, 5:2, 7:3, 2:1) — while the regions between these resonances are stable. This is KAM theory in visible action.

• Saturn’s rings: Show corrugated patterns at rational resonances with Saturn’s moons — another dramatic demonstration.

What this means for the model

The model’s 13:3 ratio is not numerology — it reflects the maximally stable orbital configuration predicted by dynamical systems theory. The solar system has naturally evolved toward these configurations over billions of years.

The fact that the same Fibonacci numbers (3, 5, 8, 13) that divide the Holistic-Year also appear in exoplanetary systems strengthens the case that this is a fundamental feature of gravitational dynamics, not a fitting artifact.

3. Earth’s Rotation Speedup (2020–2022)

The model predicts that Earth’s Length of Day (LOD) follows a 20,868-year cycle linked to perihelion precession, with LOD currently decreasing (Earth speeding up) since the 1246 AD maximum.

What was observed

Starting in 2020, Earth unexpectedly began rotating faster:

• 2020: The 28 shortest days since atomic clocks were invented
• June 29, 2022: The shortest day ever recorded — 1.59 milliseconds under 24 hours
• 2019–2022: Average LOD shifted from +0.39 ms to −0.25 ms relative to 86,400 seconds

Scientists are puzzled

This speedup was not predicted by standard models. Nick Stamatakos of the IERS Directing Board stated they “run into trouble predicting more than six months or one year ahead.” The ENSO cycle, core-mantle coupling, and atmospheric angular momentum explain some short-term variation, but the multi-year trend remains poorly understood.

How the model aligns

The model predicts that we are past the LOD maximum (1246 AD) and that Earth’s rotation should be gradually speeding up over the coming millennia, reaching a minimum LOD around 11,680 AD. The 2020–2022 speedup is qualitatively consistent with this prediction.

4. Day Length Stalled for 1 Billion Years

A landmark 2023 paper in Nature Geoscience fundamentally challenges the assumption that Earth’s rotation has slowed monotonically due to tidal friction.

The finding

Mitchell & Kirscher (2023) analyzed geological constraints on Precambrian day length and found that Earth’s day length stalled at approximately 19 hours for roughly 1 billion years during the mid-Proterozoic (2.0–1.0 Ga). They proposed that atmospheric thermal tides from solar heating balanced the decelerative torque of lunar oceanic tides, temporarily stabilizing Earth’s rotation.

Why this matters for the model

This finding proves two things:

1. LOD dynamics are more complex than simple tidal deceleration — additional mechanisms can influence or even reverse the tidal slowing
2. Cyclical LOD behavior is physically possible — if atmospheric tides could halt rotational slowing for a billion years, other mechanisms could create cyclical variations

The model proposes a 20,868-year LOD cycle superimposed on the long-term tidal trend. The Mitchell & Kirscher finding establishes that such complex rotational dynamics are not unprecedented.

Reference: Mitchell & Kirscher, 2023, Nature Geoscience 16, 567 

5. Solar Oblateness Uncertainty and Mercury

The standard test of General Relativity through Mercury’s perihelion precession assumes that all non-GR contributions (planetary perturbations, solar oblateness) are precisely known. Recent research questions this assumption.

The problem

The Sun’s gravitational quadrupole moment (J₂) — caused by its oblateness — contributes to Mercury’s precession. However:

• J₂ is not constant: It varies with the solar magnetic activity cycle (~11 years)
• Historical measurements disagree: Published J₂ values have ranged from 1.08 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.46 × 10⁻⁷ depending on the method
• J₂ mimics GR: The solar oblateness contribution has the same temporal signature as the relativistic precession, making them difficult to separate

The risk for BepiColombo

A 2022 study found that if a periodic J₂ component exceeding 0.04% of J₂ exists and is not accounted for, it could falsely confirm or contradict General Relativity in BepiColombo’s measurements. This creates a systematic uncertainty in the standard Mercury GR test that is rarely discussed.

The model does not claim GR is wrong — but it notes that the standard Mercury test has an unresolved systematic uncertainty that weakens its status as a clean confirmation.

Reference: The Influence of Dynamic Solar Oblateness on Tracking Data Analysis, MDPI Remote Sensing, 2022 

6. BepiColombo: The Upcoming Decisive Test

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission provides the most immediate opportunity to test the model.

Updated timeline

The test

The Mercury Orbiter Radio science Experiment (MORE) will measure Mercury’s orbit with 1–2 orders of magnitude better precision than MESSENGER.

This is a binary test: either the rate decreased or it didn’t.

See Mercury Precession for the full analysis.

7. Independent Dating Methods

Several dating methods exist that are completely independent of orbital tuning — meaning they could test whether the ~100,000-year glacial signal is actually ~111,296 years.

Speleothems (cave deposits)

• Dated by uranium-thorium (U-Th) decay — no orbital assumptions
• Cheng et al. (2016, Science) found ~100k patterns with consistent timing
• The exact spectral peak position (100k vs 111k?) deserves reanalysis

O₂/N₂ ratio dating

• Kawamura et al. (2007, Nature): trapped air O₂/N₂ ratio correlates with local summer insolation
• Constrains timing to precession cycles (~23 ka), not 100k cycles
• Provides an independent orbital constraint without assuming eccentricity drives climate

Tidal rhythmites

• Sedimentary records preserving ancient tidal cycles
• Provide constraints on ancient Length of Day
• Show discrepancies with simple tidal deceleration models
• Support the existence of complex rotational dynamics

The opportunity

A spectral reanalysis of non-orbitally-tuned climate records could distinguish between the 100k and 111k hypotheses. The data exists — it needs to be analyzed with this specific question in mind.

Summary

Continue to Mathematical Foundation for derivations and data sources.