The cosmological constant problem is often described as the worst theoretical prediction in physics: quantum field theory yields a vacuum energy density of ρᵥac ∼ 10⁷6 GeV⁴, while observations give ρₒbs ∼ 10^-47 GeV⁴, a discrepancy of 10¹23. We show that the Schrödinger equation's first-order temporal structure demands that vacuum energy be computed through temporal, not spatial, integration. When this correction is applied, the observed vacuum energy density emerges naturally with a single parameter determined from observation - paralleling Planck's determination of h from blackbody data. This approach reframes vacuum energy as the cost of continuous spatial emergence along time's arrow, rather than energy contained within pre-existing spatial volume. The resulting expression matches observation, and yields clear experimental predictions and falsification criteria.
John C Mahoney Jr (Fri,) studied this question.