Headsnap
1st Level Orange Feather
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I've been doing some research into physical cosmology and quantam mechanics (no real reason, just because I can) and have found a rather grim but utterly fascinating topic being discussed that I'd like to get some input on.
How do you think the universe will end?
I've read over the various scenarios and, with typical arrogance that is a feature of the human condition, most people seem to think that there are only a limited number of ways this could happen, most of which seem to be based upon the ultimate conclusion of whatever your preferred theory of cosmology happens to be:
- The Big Freeze/ Heat Death theory which the coolest-sounding one based on the continued expansion of the universe eventually taking it too far apart to sustain life meaning it'll all freeze or eventually reaching an "ultimate point" at which time everything will burn;
- The Big Rip which requires that time is infinite but the universe is not and simply involves the universe expanding too far to sustain it's cohesion meaning everything will just sort of fall away from everything else;
- The Big Crunch which assumes that both time AND the lifespan of the universe are finite and states that at some point the expanding universe will begin to contract until all matter is compressed into a singularity;
- The Multiverse theory, which assumes multiple parallel universe exist and thus there is no way for the universe to ever totally end;
- The False Vacuum, which postulates that the vacuum is not, as is currently believed, the lowest state to which matter can fall and speculates that the universe may simply just sort of fall into whatever state is lower than a vacuum;
- And finally the Multiple Level theory, which states that the universe has infinite "levels" which keep tumbling down into one another.
Personally, and this is just me, I think the end will be an amalgamation of the Big Freeze and Big Crunch theories. I reckon there'll be a point in the universe's existence when it will expand to what I call the "ultimate point", at which there is located a massive sign which simply reads "NIGGA PLEASE". Once this sign has been read by all intelligent life the entire mass of the universe will collapse into a singularity, possibly accompanied by some sort of comical sound effect.
Yeah yeah I know, TL;DR for such a weak punchline. I'll forgive you if you don't reply.
How do you think the universe will end?
I've read over the various scenarios and, with typical arrogance that is a feature of the human condition, most people seem to think that there are only a limited number of ways this could happen, most of which seem to be based upon the ultimate conclusion of whatever your preferred theory of cosmology happens to be:
- The Big Freeze/ Heat Death theory which the coolest-sounding one based on the continued expansion of the universe eventually taking it too far apart to sustain life meaning it'll all freeze or eventually reaching an "ultimate point" at which time everything will burn;
- The Big Rip which requires that time is infinite but the universe is not and simply involves the universe expanding too far to sustain it's cohesion meaning everything will just sort of fall away from everything else;
- The Big Crunch which assumes that both time AND the lifespan of the universe are finite and states that at some point the expanding universe will begin to contract until all matter is compressed into a singularity;
- The Multiverse theory, which assumes multiple parallel universe exist and thus there is no way for the universe to ever totally end;
- The False Vacuum, which postulates that the vacuum is not, as is currently believed, the lowest state to which matter can fall and speculates that the universe may simply just sort of fall into whatever state is lower than a vacuum;
- And finally the Multiple Level theory, which states that the universe has infinite "levels" which keep tumbling down into one another.
Personally, and this is just me, I think the end will be an amalgamation of the Big Freeze and Big Crunch theories. I reckon there'll be a point in the universe's existence when it will expand to what I call the "ultimate point", at which there is located a massive sign which simply reads "NIGGA PLEASE". Once this sign has been read by all intelligent life the entire mass of the universe will collapse into a singularity, possibly accompanied by some sort of comical sound effect.
Yeah yeah I know, TL;DR for such a weak punchline. I'll forgive you if you don't reply.
