One of the pillars of cosmology is that the universe is “isotropic,” meaning that it is the same in all directions. However, a new study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton is now challenging that basic notion. In the past, scientists have conducted many tests to ascertain whether the universe is the same in all directions. These included using optical observations of exploded stars and infrared studies of galaxies. Many of these previous efforts have produced evidence that the universe is seemingly isotropic, but some have not. So, will this new work tear down one of the most crucial pillars of cosmology? Only time (and further research) will tell.