The End of the Universe

Our universe has been expanding since the beginning of time, its growth rate quickly accelerating as we speak. Ever since the beginning of human life, we’ve wondered how the universe has come into existence, and more importantly, how and when the universe will end. 

The answer to this question has been debated for centuries, with evidence that suggests the universe is already beginning to collapse, and will finish collapsing billions of years later.

Numerous theories have arisen since the creation of the human race, but many have been disproved as more and more research has been conducted about the existence of our universe. Even Albert Einstein, one of the most successful physicists known to man, has been proved incorrect with research. The widely believed notion of the universe being static and infinite has been disproved, as observations have confirmed its growth, also causing theoretical physicists to reconsider Einstein’s theory of general relativity. 

There are three popular theories being discussed between scientists of how our universe could eventually turn into nothingness.

The oldest of these theories is commonly referred to as the Big Crunch, in which scientists anticipate the entire universe’s collapse under its own gravity, causing a black hole singularity, and causing the Big Bang to occur in reverse. Researchers have been considering how realistic this theory is, and evidence has been found that could support the idea that this has already begun. However, this theory is the oldest, and is considered least likely to actually occur by scientists today.

A second theory is the Big Rip, in which dark energy will build up and push galaxies away from each other. Force created by dark energy has already started accelerating since the beginning of time, and it exists everywhere in the universe. Dark energy is responsible for stretching out space very gradually, but the universe is so large, and our surroundings are so small in comparison, that Earth’s inhabitants cannot feel any impact of it. 

A third theory is the Big Freeze, in which scientists anticipate that all the energy that exists within the universe will evenly distribute itself across the universe, causing everything to exist to freeze in place, since the even distribution of energy will not allow for any movement.

Scientists are unsure which theory is the most likely to occur, if any are to occur at all, but all of these theories have great amounts of evidence supporting them. Only time will tell the fate of the universe.