How will the universe end?

Question: How will the universe end?
- Keywords:
  end of the world
Asked by k9markred to Daniela, Hannah, Ian, Jono, Mark on 15 Jun 2013. This question was also asked by chelseamancini2001, chia123.
- Ian Wilson answered on 15 Jun 2013:
  
  Oohoo what a brilliant question!!
  
  The honest answer here is that no-one knows! The problem is, we don’t know how the universe began really, so we can’t know how it will end. There was the Big Bang, but what caused it? What came before it?
  
  There’s quite a popular theory that the universe is on a kind of loop. When the Big Bang happened, all the matter in the universe flew outwards and it’s still spreading out. So everything’s getting further away from the centre of the universe. But, some people think that eventually everything will slow down and then start being pulled back towards the centre. Billions upon billions of years from now, everything will collapse back into a tiny space of unimaginable mass….and then explode outwards again in a new Big Bang. A new universe will be created and the same thing will happen all over again.
  
  I really like this idea, though it still doesn’t explain how the first ever Big Bang happened. Maybe we’ll never know…
  
  How do you think the universe will end k9markred? And what do you think started it? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
- Hannah Brotherton answered on 17 Jun 2013:
  
  Hi k9markred,
  hmmm..no one really knows. But what we do know is that it is always expanding, so let’s say it ends with an explosion, that would have to be a pretty big explosion. But isn’t the universe time and space?…how can you destroy time? Also, the universe is made up of matter and energy. It is impossible to destroy energy. So, I think (bare in mind I am not a “space” person) the universe will never end, but some things such as planets and stars will die and end over time, but the universe itself will continue to expand……
  
  But into what? Where is the universe? it must be in something, mustn’t it? So for the universe to end, shouldn’t the thing it is in also be destroyed? But what is this? … I love not knowing and trying to get my head around something so unimaginable, its mind-blowing! Maybe one day you will find this out! Then you can teach me how the universe will end.
  
  Han
- Mark Hodson answered on 17 Jun 2013:
  
  Hi k9markred,
  
  one thing is for sure, it isn’t going to end soon so we shouldn’t really worry about it!
  
  The most widely held idea is that the universe started with a giant explosion (the big band) and is still expanding because of this. At some point the university will stop expanding and start to shrink. Once it is really tiny it will explode and start again.
  
  cheers
  
  m
- Jono Bone answered on 18 Jun 2013:
  
  Hi k9markred,
  
  Your asking loads of great questions, and I’ve really enjoyed reading the answers above.
  
  The the most widely accepted theory at the moment is THE BIG FREEZE.
  It is a direct consequence of an ever expanding universe. In an isolated system (the Universe being a very big example), the entropy (or unavailable energy) will continuously increase until it reaches a maximum value.
  
  The moment that happens, heat in the system will be evenly distributed, allowing no room for usable energy (or heat) to exist. That means, mechanical motion within the system will no longer be possible.
  
  But as Mark said this isn’t going to happen anytime soon!!
- Daniela Plana answered on 18 Jun 2013:
  
  Hi k9markred!
  
  I’ve been talking to the people at work about this and everyone loves your question…. proposed answers have ranged from “we’ll all be dead” or “it’ll be so far from now, we shouldn’t worry”…
  
  But in all reality, I don’t think anyone really knows… the most accepted theories are the ones that have already been given to you: either it will all freeze eventually or it’ll start shrinking and eventually explode again….
  
  What do you think will happen??
  
  Daniela

Question: How will the universe end?

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