seen this?

Question

This is what science says, from an article taken from Newscientist.com

What gruesome fate awaits our universe? Some physicists have argued that it is doomed to be ripped apart by runaway dark energy, while others think it is bouncing through an endless series of big bangs and big crunches. Now these two ideas are being combined to create another option, in which our universe ultimately shatters into billions of pieces, with each shard growing into a whole new universe. The model could solve the mystery of why our early universe was surprisingly well ordered.

One of the problems that cosmological models must explain revolves around the amount of disorder in the way that particles in our universe are arranged, which is marked by a quantity called entropy. Cosmologists believe that the universe started out in an ordered, low-entropy state after the big bang, and is gradually becoming more of a mess. But just why it started out so well ordered, when it is much more likely for particles and energy to be created in a greater state of disarray, is something of a puzzle.

The answer may be tied up with the way that universes are created and destroyed. The fate of the universe depends on how dark energy - the force thought to be driving the accelerated expansion of our universe - changes with time. If it increases without limit, it will eventually tear everything apart, destroying the universe in an event called the big rip. Now physicists Lauris Baum and Paul Frampton at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill are invoking this effect to explain how the entropy of our early universe might have been kept in check.

In their model, dark energy becomes very dense and sets the universe expanding at such a rate that it approaches the big rip. The universe tears into small patches that rush away from each other faster than the speed of light. But the destruction is then halted, as the density of dark energy becomes equal to the density of the universe. At this point, each patch crunches in on itself. "All the patches, of which there are a huge number, will separately contract into disparate universes," says Frampton. Each patch will then bounce outwards again, creating a new universe.

“The shards of our universe will crunch in on themselves, then each one will bounce outwards and create a new universe”Crucially, each patch only contains a fraction of the overall entropy of its parent universe - so each new universe starts out in a low entropy state, as required. The work will appear in Physical Review Letters.

Paul Steinhardt, a cosmologist at Princeton University, would like to see the model developed further. "I'm curious to see how far they can carry this idea," he says.

The theory will be put to the test when the European Space Agency's Planck satellite is launched in July 2008. The satellite will measure properties related to the pressure and density of dark energy that will distinguish the new model from the standard big bang picture, says Frampton.

This is what the Qur'an says:

"That Day We will fold up heaven like folding up the pages of a book. As We originated the first creation so We will regenerate it. It is a promise binding on Us. That is what We will do." (Qur'an, 21:104)

"They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising the heavens folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe!" (Qur'an, 39:67)

Answer 1

yes there is a chance the universe could be in a cycle of bangs and crunches, but that depends on the mass of the unviverse, including dark matter, the other option is that it could keep going - my advice is read a breif history of time, some topics are covered in that, but not an easy read, i liked it - could be sheer coicidence with the quran but im not in any postion to sate on that

Answer 2

This is all pretty standard modern-day cosmology, except for the part where the Dark Energy rips things up and then the ripped up patches collapse. That is absolutely, totally, speculative.

The claim that this will be tested by the Planck satellite is an exaggeration. In my opinion, the reality is that the data from the Planck satellite has some small chance of possibly giving some supporting evidence for this idea. It's a long way from being an established theory.

The current expectation is that our Universe will expand and fade out. In this article, the guys from the University of North Carolina are speculating that the residual positive vacuum energy remaining in the Universe will do something exciting. Maybe, maybe not. We need better physics.

Answer 3

No I hadn't seen that. Quite a lot of reading.

Actually I think the universe is very well ordered and the Earth too, I believe it is man that has disordered it or perhaps i should say discorded it.

If man didn't generate so much carbon then global warming wouldn't be happening, seems perfectly ordered to me.

Treat me good and I'll be good to you.

There's plenty of dark matter in the minds of men, I wonder when man will become enlightened to the benefits of looking after the whole planet and that it would be really good right now to seriously consider working towards a truly UNITED NATIONS.

I think it would be in order cos it won't matter about any other matter in the universe before long.

Answer 4

It is a little too esoteric for me. I am not really THAT interested in what will happen billions of years in the future. It is just too far removed from my every day life. The Moon and Mars are different. We have sent people to the Moon and unmanned space craft to the planets.

Answer 5

Amsterdam, or u could go to London and then fly on those extremely cheap flights within Europe for 1 pound with Ryanair or easy jet and also see germany

Answer 6

I think the quotations from the Qu'ran tell us how informative and well-established the Islamic religion is in Science.

Answer 7

our life is 2 much short if this is going 2 happen it will happen after cores of years .Just dont worry abot it . there r 2 many important things

Answer 8

Interesting coincidence. But if it's possible for space to rip, then what is outside it?

Answer 9

woah, thats some some deep stuff. pretty neat, but cool yeah! uhm, i think the whole point is to believe in the impossible!

Answer 10

And in the meantime, we'll carry on living our lives as we always do.....the funny thing is, if they're right, it wont make a blind bit of difference to us.