this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2025
135 points (99.3% liked)

science

23176 readers
751 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Big Crunch, here we come! A new study is implying that the universe may actually be slowing down and that the culmination of the decrease in dark energy could spell a reverse big bang.

top 38 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Fucks sake, just when we were starting to get people to move to Linux!

[–] artifex@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago

I think Year of the Linux Desktop was always supposed to be a harbinger of the world’s end.

[–] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

"... the universe has already passed its point of maximum acceleration and has entered a phase of decelerated expansion at the present epoch."

oh no :( i want another 500 ca-trillion years, not just a couple billion.

[–] anugeshtu@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If it's slowing down right now instead of expanding what was previously observed, that actually means that there was quite a force to get it into the other direction. Or am I misinterpreting things?

[–] ol_capt_joe@piefed.ee 9 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Slowed expansion doesn't mean contraction, it means getting bigger less quickly (and then collapsing later, probably, but not now).

But yes, what's providing the resistance to make galaxies not drift apart so quickly? Is it dark energy, is it regular ass gravity, is it wishy thinking?

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago

Definitely the ass gravity.

[–] krooklochurm@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

It's the power of love.

[–] anugeshtu@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Isn't expansion comparable to speed instead of acceleration? If the universe is expanding, i.e., already spreading in all kinds of directions constantly, wouldn't slower expansion mean deceleration? But I guess you meant the same with "eventual collapse later, but probably not now".

[–] wirebeads@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Big bang, big crunch, you know there's no free lunch

Kneel down and pray, here comes your judgment day

Big crunch, you know it's going to be quite a show

What goes around always comes around, yeah

— Bad Religion

[–] MetalSlugX@piefed.social 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 month ago

Oh you absolute scholar.

I clicked on every link trying to find the actual paper.

[–] Smaagi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

This just enforces my old thought that we're living in another universes black hole, it's just getting less matter now.

[–] frog_brawler@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Yea, wait till the math comes out when it starts contracting again. That one is going to piss everyone off.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Contraction incoming or nah?

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Might just stop for all we know. Then we have to rename it the big splat.

[–] frog_brawler@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hope I’m around for it but doubt I will be.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Don't lose hope! Give it a week! ;)

[–] RecallMadness@lemmy.nz 4 points 1 month ago

It’s pending all its cycles simulating our consciousness simulations, instead of rendering further out.

[–] thenextguy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] fleebleneeble@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago

Gnasty Gnork

[–] SlothMama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

You can only stretch the firmament so much before it tears