This Is How The Universe Could End, Scientists Believe

Having a bit of a slump? Feeling like it’s all meaningless?

Here’s something to put it all in perspective.

Scientists at Vanderbilt University predict that when the universe ends, everything tears itself apart as the universe’s expansion spirals out of control.

The scenario is called ‘the Big Rip’ - and sees galaxies torn apart first, then stars and planets, then finally individual atoms.

Eventually, the entire universe would consist of lonely particles unable to touch anything else, outside of time.


‘The idea of the Big Rip is that eventually even the constituents of matter would start separating from each other,’ mathematician Dr Marcelo Disconzi told the Guardian.

‘You’d be seeing all the atoms being ripped apart … it’s fair to say that it’s a dramatic scenario.’

The team examined distant supernovae, to see whether the universe’s acceleration made a ‘Big Rip’ possible.

It is, the scientists believe - but it won’t happen for at least 22 billion years.