Will the Universe End in a Big Rip?

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:37 am

Puzzling .... I guess the jig is up.

djm

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:35 am

Oh, I get it. Black holes are what happen when the dog chews up the piece that fell off the table.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:07 am

i think the universe will just keep evolving and all those mysterious things like black holes and such keep things moving.

earth on the other hand is going to be made unihabitable for a very long time by man, in the not too distant future. man has the power to do it now.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:14 am

I suppose if you can't go out with a bang you might as well get ripped.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:28 am

rock 'n roll!

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:07 am

Or as Duke Nukem would say, "Gonna rip 'em a new one!"

djm

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:33 am

How can the universe end?

What is the universe?

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:56 am

It's the only one we know that goes with this chorus.

djm

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:10 pm

Cranberry wrote:How can the universe end?

What is the universe?

i'm a bit curious to see the other side myself.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:18 pm

mutepointe wrote:i think the universe will just keep evolving and all those mysterious things like black holes and such keep things moving.

earth on the other hand is going to be made unihabitable for a very long time by man, in the not too distant future. man has the power to do it now.

I'm not so sure.

Now I'll grant you we have the ability to bring our civilization to its knees (or lower). We have the ability to decimate our population and we certainly have the ability to make this world a living hell for the few who survive.

But in the end, I don't know if we are big enough to actually sterilize this world of all life. I certainly think there are things in nature which can do just that, and I think we all need to start listening to Dr. Hawking's advice while there is still time.

We have this crazy idea as a species that we are bigger than nature, or separate from it, or in control of it...and every now and again nature comes along and steps on a goodly number of us, and when it happens, each time we find out there's not a damn thing we can do about it.

I think a much more likely scenario is a return to savagery. In fact, it seems to have already started: education is spurned, violence escalates, profit is valued over life...give it a few more generations like this, and we'll be right back in Medieval feudalism, only on a larger scale.

As for how the universe ends, our view is quite limited. I don't think we even have started understanding the fundamental nature of reality yet, so I feel its premature to put too much credence on our speculations about its beginning and end.

Although I do think we're starting to get a little better picture of reality. String theory and brane theory show real promise towards building a Unified Field Theory someday.

Just my $.02.

--James

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:09 pm

Will the universe end in a big rip? Depends on the interstellar gasses, don't you think?

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:31 pm

Nanohedron wrote:Will the universe end in a big rip? Depends on the interstellar gasses, don't you think?

Yes, I think vapors will likely be the cause.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:32 pm

But it's the dark matter that really scares me.

djm

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:49 pm

I thought that you played the pipes...