Time Likely To End Within Earth's Lifespan, Say Physicists

[Wolverine]

[SIZE=14pt]Time Likely To End Within Earth's Lifespan, Say Physicists [/SIZE]
There is a 50 per cent chance that time will end within the next 3.7 billion years, according to a new model of the universe

Look out into space and the signs are plain to see. The universe began in a Big Bang event some 13 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since. And the best evidence from the distance reaches of the cosmos is that this expansion is accelerating.

That has an important but unavoidable consequence: it means the universe will expand forever. And a universe that expands forever is infinite and eternal.

Today, a group of physicists rebel against this idea. They say an infinitely expanding universe cannot be so because the laws of physics do not work in an infinite cosmos. For these laws to make any sense, the universe must end, say Raphael Bousso at the University of California, Berkeley and few pals. And they have calculated when that is most likely to happen.

Their argument is deceptively simple and surprisingly powerful. Here's how it goes. If the universe lasts forever, then any event that can happen, will happen, no matter how unlikely. In fact, this event will happen an infinite number of times.

This leads to a problem. When there are an infinite number of instances of every possible observation, it becomes impossible to determine the probabilities of any of these events occurring. And when that happens, the laws of physics simply don't apply. They just break down. "This is known as the "measure problem" of eternal inflation," say Bousso and buddies.

In effect, these guys are saying that the laws of physics abhor an eternal universe.

The only way out of this conundrum is to hypothesise some kind of catastrophe that brings an end to the universe. Then all the probabilities make sense again and the laws of physics regain their power.

So, if the universe is infinite and eternal, then everything is infinitely possible, and the laws of physics do not exist. Ow, ow, ow, brain-ache!

 

[snickerd3]

So, if the universe is infinite and eternal, then everything is infinitely possible, and the laws of physics do not exist. Ow, ow, ow, brain-ache!

then we wouldn't need physicists...the world would be a better place.

j/k

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

So, if the universe is infinite and eternal, then everything is infinitely possible, and the laws of physics do not exist. Ow, ow, ow, brain-ache!

then we wouldn't need physicists...the world would be a better place.

So, if we got rid of physicists, I wouldn't have a sister in law...

GREAT SUCCESS!!!

 

[frazil]

I am literally scratching my head right now.

 

[Dleg]

[SIZE=14pt]Time Likely To End Within Earth's Lifespan, Say Physicists [/SIZE]The only way out of this conundrum is to hypothesise some kind of catastrophe that brings an end to the universe. Then all the probabilities make sense again and the laws of physics regain their power.

Or maybe, just maybe, we don't have the laws of physics right? Which makes more sense?

This reminds me of my brilliant, 2.7 GPA friend in engineering school, who came up with the theory (over a 12 pack of The Beast) that, as long as we could become nothing, then we could travel faster than the speed of light, because nothing travels faster than the speed of light.

There is a danger in thinking too much....

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Heisenburg gets pulled over by a cop. The cops says, "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?" heisenburg says, "No, but I know where I am."

 

[MA_PE]

So that means one small molecule in my fingernail might be an entire universe? Can I buy some pot from you?

 

[Paul S]

According to their reasoning, at least we will know the PE exam cut score sometime within that 3.7 billion years!

 

[Santiagj]

Tomorrow is never yesterday.

 

[Sschell]

The argument seems invalid. Time can be infinite, but a data set cannot, as that would require prior knowledge of future events.

More precisely, if we are evaluating a data set, it must be bound by something, otherwise its just a shitload of random numbers.

edit: not to mention that they totally leave out the 3rd law of thermodynamics.... Just because an event is possible (however improbable) today, there is no reason to believe that it will remain possible after a few billion years of entropy working on the universe.

 

[NCcarguy]

IF they actually KNOW what will happen that far in advance, why don't you see them lining up with winning lottery tickets every single time they have a drawing?

 

[Dleg]

In their conception of the universe, as long as time is infinite, then every possible number will eventually be the lotto winner. The issue is more of a financial issue - time value of money. Do you invest your money in something that is guaranteed to pay out in the infinite future? Or is the present time value of your money worth more than an investment with a return date set at infinity?

Maybe the Wall Street Journal can write a similar article debunking the notion of an infinite universe, based on the financial unlikelihood.