Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ 'The Universe is slowly dying,' study shows with unprecedented precision

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Anybody who understands entropy already understood this, but news reports out today point to a study arguing that the universe is in its sunset years, in old age as universes go. "It will just grow old forever, slowly converting less and less mass into energy as billions of years pass by until eventually, it will become a cold, dark and desolate place, where all of the lights go out," said astronomer Luke Davies. What this means, says Alex Balk, is that nothing we do matters. "It's all temporary. Everything is. Every victory, every defeat, every choice made or decision deferred adds up to nothing. You feel pain for a certain amount of time—or happiness, or wonder, or bliss, but more likely pain—and then it's over. The universe makes no value judgment because the value of everything is zero and the concept of judgment is meaningless."

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Dec 25, 2024 8:01 p.m.

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