Time To Hit the Panic Button: Universe Ending Faster Than Expected

By John Farrier in Science & Tech on Oct 9, 2009 at 9:10 am

The entropy of the universe may be 100 times worse than expected. Ron Cowen writes in Science News that recent research suggests that the universe will degrade faster physicists had previously thought:

An analysis by Chas Egan of the Australian National University in Canberra and Charles Lineweaver of the University of New South Wales in Sydney indicates that the collective entropy of all the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies is about 100 times higher than previously calculated. Because supermassive black holes are the largest contributor to cosmic entropy, the finding suggests that the entropy of the universe is also about 100 times larger than previous estimates, the researchers reported online September 23 at arXiv.org.[...]

In the case of the universe, Egan says, “we’d like to know [when and] if the entropy will eventually reach a maximum value, marking the end of all dissipative processes, including life.” Physicists have dubbed that maximum entropy “heat death.”

I know nothing about physics, therefore I propose that people take alarmist, unjustified responses to this disastrous news.

Link via Gizmodo | Image: NASA


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  1. Gauldar
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 9:37 am

    GET TO DA CHOPPA!

  2. Felipe Venancio
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 9:50 am

    Oh my god! Now the universe will die in about 10.000.000.000 Trillion years instead of 100.000.000.000 trillion years! thats bad news for.. for… for anyone actually.

  3. wit of a twit
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    I don’t know hwy people freak out about universe ending, sun dimming, etc. That fact is we can’t do anything about it.

  4. glen
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 11:20 am

    Scotty… beam me up.

  5. johnnybluejeans
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am

    This is what happens when you forget to carry the one.

  6. Gauldar
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    I’d be surprised if we didn’t screw up the planet before we event reach that year.

  7. Foreigner1
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    It’s us right? It’s the hole on the ozone-layer that does it. It’s our burning up fossil fuels and squandering our world- Thát’s why the universe will live shorter…!

    Has the Green Movement gotten new ammo……..!

  8. Rick
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    So long, and thanks for all the fish!

  9. Veracosa
    Oct 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

    Well Wit, I think part of it is because people can barely grasp the idea that they themselves will die and cease to exist. I think the lone comforting fact (other than the crutch of religion) in accepting our own mortality is that “the world will go on.”
    Thinking about the entire universe not continuing on is a very unsettling thought!

    But you know, I think this a case where the information is nice to have for science and posterity, but not worth thinking about in your average daily life. It’s a matter of relevance and perspective. I mean if I even thought about everything going on in the Middle East at this very minute, I don’t think I’d be a functional person. Let alone the universe coming to an end!!!
    Acknowledge the information and move along, because you can’t skip out on rent and tell your landlord “well, the physicists just figured out the universe might end soon.” (though it is sorely tempting to try)

  10. s
    Oct 10th, 2009 at 2:38 am

    one of the guys names was “Lineweaver” !! coolest part of the whole story.

  11. Raine
    Oct 10th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    AHHH!! Run around in circles screaming!

  12. ted
    Oct 11th, 2009 at 11:28 am

    That’s spelled “disastrous”. Just because the universe is ending doesn’t mean we can stop being civilized.

  13. ted
    Oct 11th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    Whew. My faith in the universe is restored.

  14. Crudely Wrott
    Oct 11th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    The end is coming soon (er).

    It just goes to show that the more you know the more you know you don’t know. The rest of the story, that is.

    When we know all of the story we will be very, very old. I’d say that now we are adolescents with room to grow. The act of growing being voluntary, of course.

    *grin*


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