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So the universe is just biding it’s time to die? This is it, no more creation, no more new platforms for biological miracles. Interesting, so while humans figure out how to navigate the universe, many planets/stars would simply die and we will not even know.
Whenever you see the word Universe in pop sci, you can just sub in Observable Universe.
In practice, it should make no difference. That's already much, much further than any of us can comprehend. It's a hundred times the length of recorded human history. What would it really matter?
On the other hand, it would seem so short, I think a sense of nihilism would already take hold.
Whenever you see the word Universe in pop sci, you can just sub in Observable Universe.
Sure, but scientists have fairly good reasons for assuming that the rest of the universe looks pretty much the same. They could be wrong, of course, but "could be wrong" is always an assumption with these kinds of things anyway.
Perhaps Earl of Ockham has a pertinent observation...
(Or, maybe I just woke up grumpy this morning.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure, but scientists have fairly good reasons for assuming that the rest of the universe looks pretty much the same. They could be wrong, of course, but "could be wrong" is always an assumption with these kinds of things anyway.
what is 'pretty much the same', and what are the 'fairly good reasons'?
The “fairly good reasons” are that that assumption has allowed us to develop a very good understanding of physics – good even by standards that don't make that assumption. If an assumption is a good one, it's probably a true one… at least, the others have been, and I assume we can generalise from them.
I'd be interested to know how people (humanity) would feel if it were known that the universe would just come to a hard-stop in a million years. In practice, it should make no difference. That's already much, much further than any of us can comprehend. It's a hundred times the length of recorded human history. What would it really matter? On the other hand, it would seem so short, I think a sense of nihilism would al…
I'd be interested to know how people (humanity) would feel if it were known that the universe would just come to a hard-stop in a million years. In practice, it should make no difference. That's already much, much further than any of us can comprehend. It's a hundred times the length of recorded human history. What would it really matter? On the other hand, it would seem so short, I think a sense of nihilism would al…