Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Thursday April 05 2018, @06:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the banged-out dept.

A 2nd 'Big Bang' could end our universe in an instant — and it's all because of a tiny particle that controls the laws of physics

Our universe may end the same way it was created: with a big, sudden bang. That's according to new research from a group of Harvard physicists, who found that the destabilization of the Higgs boson — a tiny quantum particle that gives other particles mass — could lead to an explosion of energy that would consume everything in the known universe and upend the laws of physics and chemistry.

As part of their study, published last month in the journal Physical Review D [open, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.97.056006] [DX], the researchers calculated when our universe could end. It's nothing to worry about just yet. They settled on a date 10139 years from now, or 10 million trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion years in the future. And they're at least 95% sure — a statistical measure of certainty — that the universe will last at least another 1058 years.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:38PM (6 children)

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:38PM (#663072) Journal

    The real Fermi paradox: Why hasn't someone obliterated the universe yet?

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Insightful=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:49PM (2 children)

    by bob_super (1357) on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:49PM (#663077)

    They forgot to put the "Danger! Do not touch!" sign on the big red button.

    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday April 05 2018, @08:24PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday April 05 2018, @08:24PM (#663086)

      They did, but it's red text on the red button because the joker engineer had just read Hitchhiker's Guide.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 05 2018, @10:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 05 2018, @10:22PM (#663137)

      Because they so rarely have existed so as to not have destroyed it.

      Duh!

  • (Score: 5, Funny) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:49PM

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:49PM (#663078) Journal

    Trump's only a year in. Give it another few weeks.

    --
    This sig for rent.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 06 2018, @05:08AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 06 2018, @05:08AM (#663273)

    The real Fermi paradox: Why hasn't someone obliterated the universe yet?

    Because they banished him [wikipedia.org] to Earth?

  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 06 2018, @06:46PM

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday April 06 2018, @06:46PM (#663511) Journal

    The real Fermi paradox: Why hasn't someone obliterated the universe yet?

    Maybe that was the Big Bang?