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7586
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter absolu
URL: https://www.the-independent.com/tech/universe-end-quantum-machine-b2691796.html
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Tech The universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter absolutely everything, quantum machine shows Andrew Griffin Tuesday 04 February 2025 The universe could undergo a catastrophe that would change absolutely everything, scientists have shown using a quantum machine. The groundbreaking simulation allowed scientists to better understand a phenomenon that could entirely change the structure of the universe – and about which little is still known. About 50 years ago, quantum physicists suggested that the universe could be trapped in a so-called false vacuum, where it appears stable but could be about to move into a true vacuum and be even more stable. Quantum annealer has simulated the fundamental process of false vacuum decay, opening the window to the understanding of interactions between true vacuum bubbles Quantum annealer has simulated the fundamental process of false vacuum decay, opening the window to the understanding of interactions between true vacuum bubbles (Professor Zlatko Papic (Image created using Povray)) That could lead to a total change in the structure of the universe. But scientists know very little about it – including whether it would happen, when, and how long it might take. Now researchers have used a quantum machine to better understand that process of false vacuum decay. That process is linked to the very beginnings of the universe and so could shed light on both the beginning and end of the cosmos. “We're talking about a process by which the universe would completely change its structure,” said Zlatko Papic, from the University of Leeds, the lead author on the new paper, in a statement. “The fundamental constants could instantaneously change and the world as we know it would collapse like a house of cards. What we really need are controlled experiments to observe this process and determine its time scales.” Scientists used a particular kind of quantum machine to simulate how bubbles behave in a false vacuum. The formation of those bubbles and the ways they then spread and interact could be the beginning of the process of false vacuum decay. The researchers were able to configure the powerful quantum machine to represent the false vacuum. They could then control the system to move from a false to true vacuum, tracking the process it at a small and short scale so that they could better understand it at the scale of the universe. “This phenomenon is comparable to a rollercoaster that has several valleys along its trajectory but only one ‘true’ lowest state, at ground level,” said Jean- Yves Desaules, a co-author on the paper. “If that is indeed the case, quantum mechanics would allow the Universe to eventually tunnel to the lowest energy state or the ‘true’ vacuum and that process would result in a cataclysmic global event.” A paper describing the work, ‘Stirring the false vacuum via interacting quantized bubbles on a 5564-qubit quantum annealer’, is published in Nature Physics today. |
7587
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter...
| if there was a big bang, there certainly could be a big collapse...and we would never see it coming... |
7608
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter...
| too bad, that would be awesome, sorta. |
Responses:
[7609]
7609
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter...
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/how-will-the-universe-end-a-changing-20230769.php
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How will the universe end? A changing understanding of dark energy may provide a new answer By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, AP Science Writer Updated March 19, 2025 3:18 p.m. This image provided by NSF’s NOIRLab shows the trails of stars above Kitt Peak National Observatory, where a telescope is mapping the universe to study a mysterious force called dark energy. (NSF’s NoirLab via AP) AP NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. The force is enormous — it makes up nearly 70% of the universe. And it is powerful — it is pushing all the stars and galaxies away from each other at an ever faster rate. And now scientists are getting a little closer to understanding how it behaves. The big question is whether this dark energy is a constant force, which scientists have long thought, or whether the force is weakening, a surprising wrinkle tentatively proposed last year. Results presented at a meeting of the American Physical Society Wednesday bolster the case that the force is weakening, though scientists are not yet certain and they still haven't worked out what this means for the rest of their understanding of the universe. The updated findings come from an international research collaboration that is creating a three-dimensional map to see how galaxies have spread and clustered over 11 billion years of the universe’s history. Carefully tracking how galaxies move helps scientists learn about the forces that are moving them around. Called the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, the collaboration released its first analysis of 6 million galaxies and quasars last year and has now added more data, bringing the count to nearly 15 million. Their updated results, taken with other measurements — exploding stars, leftover light from the young universe and distortions in galaxy shape — support the idea presented last year that dark energy may be waning. “It's moving from a really surprising finding to almost a moment where we have to throw out how we've thought about cosmology and start over,” said Bhuvnesh Jain, a cosmologist with the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved with the research. It's not time to completely rule out the idea that dark energy is constant because the new results are still shy of the gold standard level of statistical proof physics requires. The collaboration aims to map around 50 million galaxies and quasars by the end of its survey in 2026. And other efforts around the globe have an eye on dark energy and aim to release their own data in the coming years, including the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. “We want to see several different collaborations having similar measurements” at that gold standard to be sure that dark energy is weakening, said cosmologist Kris Pardo with the University of Southern California who was not involved with the new research. If dark energy is constant, scientists say our universe may continue to expand forever, growing ever colder, lonelier and still. If dark energy ebbs with time, which now seems plausible, the universe could one day stop expanding and then eventually collapse on itself in what’s called the Big Crunch. It might not seem like the cheeriest fate, but it offers some closure, said cosmologist and study collaborator Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki of the University of Texas at Dallas. “Now, there is the possibility that everything comes to an end,” he said. “Would we consider that a good or bad thing? I don’t know.” |
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7588
From: akira, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter...
| Now would be a good time. |
7589
From: Awen, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Personally I still like living more than the alternative
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Though the margin grows narrower with each passing day. And for some reason that process accelerated recently.... I wonder at what point my cognitive Zeno's paradox on that acceleration will be breached.... |
Responses:
[7590]
7590
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Personally I still like living more than the alternative
| i can take it or leave it ...but bottom line, the driving factor for persistence is that this is what is needed to sustain the all... |
Responses:
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