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.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:38PM (6 children)
The real Fermi paradox: Why hasn't someone obliterated the universe yet?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday April 05 2018, @07:49PM (2 children)
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
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
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
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
Because they banished him [wikipedia.org] to Earth?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 06 2018, @06:46PM
The real Fermi paradox: Why hasn't someone obliterated the universe yet?
Maybe that was the Big Bang?