New Study Suggests Universe Will End Sooner Than Previously Thought

A recent study by researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands indicates that the universe may reach its end much earlier than previously estimated. Traditionally, the universe was believed to persist for approximately 10^1,100 years. However, the new calculations suggest that the universe could effectively cease to exist in about 10^78 years significantly shorter timespan, though still unimaginably distant in human terms.

The study builds upon Stephen Hawking's theory of black hole evaporation via Hawking radiation. Researchers Heino Falcke, Michael Wondrak, and Walter van Suijlekom have extended this concept, proposing that not only black holes but all massive objects, including white dwarfs and neutron stars, will eventually evaporate due to similar radiation processes. This challenges the previous assumption that only black holes emit such radiation and underscores the role of spacetime curvature in this phenomenon.

The research has been published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

Also Read | Russian Spy Ring Busted In UK: 6 Convicted Spies Jailed For 50 Years

Co-author Walter van Suijlekom, professor of mathematics at Radboud University, adds that the research is an exciting collaboration of different disciplines and that combining astrophysics, quantum physics and mathematics leads to new insights. "By asking these kinds of questions and looking at extreme cases, we want to better understand the theory, and perhaps one day, we will unravel the mystery of Hawking radiation."

While this revised timeline for the universe's end is still beyond human comprehension, the findings offer new insights into the long-term fate of cosmic structures and the universe itself.