How Will Our Universe End?

THE FUTURE OF OUR UNIVERSE—HOW WILL IT END? 367 HOW WILL OUR UNIVERSE END? BIG CHILL BIG CRUNCH BIG RIP BIG SNAP DEATH BUBBLES BIG BANG BIG BANG BIG BANG BIG BANG BIG BANG Time Figure 13.2: We know that our Universe began with a hot Big Bang 14 billion years ago, expanded and cooled, and merged its particles into atoms, stars and galaxies. But we don't know its ultimate fate. Proposed scenarios include a Big Chill (eternal expansion), a Big Crunch (recollapse), a Big Rip (an infinite expansion rate tearing everything apart), a Big Snap (the fabric of space revealing a lethal granular nature when stretched too much), and Death Bubbles (space “freezing” in lethal bubbles that expand at the speed of light). Future of space Big Chill Big Crunch Big Rip Big Snap Death Bubbles Lasts forever? Yes No No No No Approaches infinite size? Yes No Yes No No Approaches infinite density? No Yes Yes No No Stable? Yes Yes Yes No Yes Infinitely stretchable? Yes Yes Yes No No Future of space Lasts forever? Approaches infinite size? Approaches infinite density? Stable? Infinitely stretchable? Caption: Possible futures for the Universe

A textbook diagram presents five possible endings for the universe: Big Chill, Big Crunch, Big Rip, Big Snap, and Death Bubbles. The joke comes from treating cosmic doomsday scenarios like a clean comparison chart, making the end of everything feel oddly academic and sortable. It can be sent as an absurd reaction to overanalyzing catastrophic possibilities.

• @rzeczyzabawne / 22017 2025-12-14