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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: 2) by acid andy on Friday April 06 2018, @12:04AM
If there's a chance this could save us from the dreaded eternal heat death, then I say bring it on baby! Although, an explosion rather than a crunch suggests matter and energy would become even more sparsely distributed. I guess it would depend on how the physics of mass and gravity changed.
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?