Questions and Answers

Guybrush · 10-12-2009, 07:07 AM

Combined, the musicbanter intellectual mindscape contains a lot of knowledge and expertise. Some of us are rich with life experiences and interests while others have more specialized knowledge in areas such as philosophy, art, design, law and of course biology.

This is a thread simply for asking questions. This could be anything - a question about greek mythology, the evolution of languages, what is the golden ratio, how does a car engine work or maybe you need some help with your math homework.

Astronomy : I have a question for someone who might know some astronomy. Does anyone know theoretically what should happen to the universe billions of years down the line? I think I read once that black holes will swallow all matter and then the black holes will melt together to form one super-black hole .. but that even this one will "evaporate", eventually leaving a universe with nothing but a kind of "background radiation" somewhere down the line.

Is this really a likely course of events or does popular scientific theory predict a different scenario?

Captain Awesome · 10-12-2009, 07:35 AM

I don't know anything about astronomy really but i read a similar theory to the one you mentioned i think the theory you're talking about is called "the big crunch". I also remember the article discussing another theory called the "big freeze" where the unviverse expands to such a size that it becomes to cold to sustain life or something like that. Hope someone can help you out on this, i'd like to see the answer to that question as well lol. Awesome idea for a thread btw.

NumberNineDream · 10-12-2009, 03:26 PM

From what I've gathered ... there'll be something called "Big Crunch" which is the opposite of a Big Bang [a bit of what you described above]. And after that, another Big Bang ... and the cycle continues.

right-track · 10-12-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toretorden

Astronomy : I have a question for someone who might know some astronomy. Does anyone know theoretically what should happen to the universe billions of years down the line? I think I read once that black holes will swallow all matter and then the black holes will melt together to form one super-black hole .. but that even this one will "evaporate", eventually leaving a universe with nothing but a kind of "background radiation" somewhere down the line.

Is this really a likely course of events or does popular scientific theory predict a different scenario?

The universe has been described as being like a gigantic (or at least extremely big) expanding elastic band because the universe has been constantly expanding since the 'big bang'.
What would happen when the universe reached it's furthest possible extent?
Would it tear and disintegrate, or more interestingly, would it begin to retract causing the universe to reverse in direction and return to it's original state?
And if this was the case, then would time travel backwards and how would it effect us as humans?
Would we be born old and gradually get younger (as in the curious case of Benjamin whatsisname) until we were born, thus ending our life?
Or, if that wasn't the case and it only effected those who were around at the time, would we remember what had happened, say 5 years previously?
And would we be able to apply our knowledge of that to benefit us personally?
Or, would time continue in a straight line (if it does at all) and we live out our lives normally as the universe slowly gets smaller?

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 10-14-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

And if this was the case, then would time travel backwards and how would it effect us as humans?
Would we be born old and gradually get younger (as in the curious case of

Perhaps we would be crushed into singularity, but it may not be the end. If the Universe returns to it's original state, would everything happen as it did the last time around? So would we be born again, just as we were before? Would we live up until that point where the Universe collapses again? How many times has the Universe done this before? How many lifetimes have we lived but not realised?

Probably a rubbish theory but I find it quite romantic.

right-track · 10-15-2009, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conan

Perhaps we would be crushed into singularity, but it may not be the end. If the Universe returns to it's original state, would everything happen as it did the last time around? So would we be born again, just as we were before? Would we live up until that point where the Universe collapses again? How many times has the Universe done this before? How many lifetimes have we lived but not realised?

Probably a rubbish theory but I find it quite romantic.

Like a cosmic 'Groundhog Day'?

Romantic? I can't think of anything worse!

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 10-15-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

Like a cosmic 'Groundhog Day'?

Romantic? I can't think of anything worse!

You don't find it romantic that you've made this post a trillion years ago?

right-track · 01-22-2010, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conan

You don't find it romantic that you've made this post a trillion years ago?

Like a cosmic 'Groundhog Day'?

Romantic? I can't think of anything worse!

Astronomer · 10-12-2009, 05:05 PM

I thought the most popular theory at this point in time is an extension of the Big Bang theory; that the universe is still expanding from the 'bang' and that when it is done expanding is will retract, reversing back into a small amount of space meaning everything will get crushed into a dense area... and then a 'Big Bang' will happen again and the universe will expand again etc.

This is of course in layman's terms and chances are I'm not correct but I remember hearing all about this at an astronomy talk I went to about a month ago.

right-track · 10-12-2009, 05:08 PM

Didn't they discover that the universe was expanding quicker too?

10-12-2009, 07:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	Questions and Answers Combined, the musicbanter intellectual mindscape contains a lot of knowledge and expertise. Some of us are rich with life experiences and interests while others have more specialized knowledge in areas such as philosophy, art, design, law and of course biology. This is a thread simply for asking questions. This could be anything - a question about greek mythology, the evolution of languages, what is the golden ratio, how does a car engine work or maybe you need some help with your math homework. Astronomy : I have a question for someone who might know some astronomy. Does anyone know theoretically what should happen to the universe billions of years down the line? I think I read once that black holes will swallow all matter and then the black holes will melt together to form one super-black hole .. but that even this one will "evaporate", eventually leaving a universe with nothing but a kind of "background radiation" somewhere down the line. Is this really a likely course of events or does popular scientific theory predict a different scenario? __________________ Something Completely Different

10-12-2009, 07:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
Captain Awesome On A Rampage Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 317	I don't know anything about astronomy really but i read a similar theory to the one you mentioned i think the theory you're talking about is called "the big crunch". I also remember the article discussing another theory called the "big freeze" where the unviverse expands to such a size that it becomes to cold to sustain life or something like that. Hope someone can help you out on this, i'd like to see the answer to that question as well lol. Awesome idea for a thread btw. __________________ "If we're all merely players in a play on this great stage, the problem is the script writers ain't on the same page, I echo through the mountain when I'm singing in the air, from my lab a lad with lavish lyrics living in his lair." "Wake up and listen, hear what's not for the public's ears Pinocchio poets played by profiting puppeteers"

10-12-2009, 03:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
NumberNineDream Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The land of the largest wine glass (aka Lebanon) Posts: 2,200	From what I've gathered ... there'll be something called "Big Crunch" which is the opposite of a Big Bang [a bit of what you described above]. And after that, another Big Bang ... and the cycle continues. __________________ Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Welcome to the Black Lodge

10-12-2009, 05:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
Astronomer we are stardust Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,894	I thought the most popular theory at this point in time is an extension of the Big Bang theory; that the universe is still expanding from the 'bang' and that when it is done expanding is will retract, reversing back into a small amount of space meaning everything will get crushed into a dense area... and then a 'Big Bang' will happen again and the universe will expand again etc. This is of course in layman's terms and chances are I'm not correct but I remember hearing all about this at an astronomy talk I went to about a month ago. __________________

10-12-2009, 05:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
right-track Atchin' Akai Join Date: May 2005 Location: Unamerica Posts: 8,769	Didn't they discover that the universe was expanding quicker too?