A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
I'm not worried about this specific apocalypse, if only because there is literally nothing that can be done to prevent it nor stop it if it starts.
I'm far more worried about more localized, preventable, human-caused apocalypse like climate or nuclear war.
Also, we won't see it coming and won't feel it happen. As far as deaths go, it's about as easy as it gets.
Exactly. Same energy as worrying about Earth being hit by a gamma ray burst - 🤷♂️
I would be very glad if it was something only destructive to humans, and not the planet(s ecosystems).
"threat
If our universe is in a false vacuum state rather than a true vacuum state, then the decay from the less stable false vacuum to the more stable true vacuum (called false vacuum decay) could have dramatic consequences.[5][6] The effects could range from complete cessation of existing fundamental forces, elementary particles and structures comprising them, to subtle change in some cosmological parameters, mostly depending on the potential difference between true and false vacuum. Some false vacuum decay scenarios are compatible with the survival of structures like galaxies, stars,[7][8] and even biological life,[9] while others involve the full destruction of baryonic matter[10] or even immediate gravitational collapse of the universe.[11] In this more extreme case, the likelihood of a "bubble" forming is very low (i.e. false vacuum decay may be impossible).[12] "
Also, of course there's a Kurzesagt
Does this mean the laws of physics could just... Change?
Hoping for the scenario that means FTL travel is possible and nothing else changes lol
Irl physics patch is crazy
yup. though if the laws of physics change then that also means the laws of physics holding your atoms together are gonna be blended up into a soup at the very least
Unless they change into a set of physical laws in which magic is real, and the turtle of enormous girth holds us all together in his mind!
maybe you couldn't survive it but I'm built different
I'm going to file this under the category of philosophy similar to "what if we're living in a simulation?" and "parallel universe" theory. As far as I'm aware we have no evidence that there's even such thing as a false vacuum, so this is all just speculation based on some theories.
Yeah, if you need existential dread, a gamma-ray burst could end us in an instant too and they're confirmed to exist and much more likely.
Well, that sucks.
"We like to destroy the universe at least every couple of months."
Subatomically dispersed at the speed of light is probably the best way to go. And no one would be left to mourn you.
♫♪♫ And we will all go together when we go ♫♪♫
Beam be everywhere, Scotty!
Luckily, this is the epitome of that Epicurus quote:
Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?
It's not the death I'm worried about. I just don't want to suffer leading up to it or put my family through some long drawn out ordeal watching me die.
Well good news, false vacuum decay would kill everyone on Earth instantly with no warning
Then I'm not worried about it.
Same here. Like, that would obviously suck, but 🤷
I mean sure, it'd suck, but no one would be around to think it sucks, so it'd be fine 😎👆👉👆👉
How to remove all suffering. Utilitarians hate this simple trick!
You know how when you get put under for anaesthesia, and you don't notice the time you were gone? It's like a cut in the tape of life.
What if death is like that, and BAM your consciousness re-emerges billions of years in the future the moment you die.
But your consciousness is alone. And in pitch black nothingness. Forever.
Entropy would end up taking your consciousness as well, so I doubt you'd be there, 14.3 billions years later, forever.
We don't really know what consciousness is, so we can't really be sure that it is subject to entropy.
This is what I think happens. You don't experience death, you just reemerge on the other side, no matter how long it takes.
The chances of your brain being created were infinitely small before you were born, but it still only took 14 billion years for it to happen.
Well, maybe it's because we mostly fear the WAY towards death, not the end of being a thing that is. Unless we get hit by a moving train...
If our particular bubble of the universe has remained unmolested for 13.8 billion years, it is safe to assume it will continue to be for the next 1000 years.
Also it's not like assuming it will collapse in the next decade will make any difference other than having a harder time enjoying the time before then.
Gamma Ray Burst
Sleep tight
I'd much prefer death by a solar system wide tsunami of highly energetic particles then the slow, agonizing death march we're currently doing.
I was gonna say it might be worse if you're on the opposite side of the planet that gets hit but I'll give you that one.
Never trust a gamma ray burst
I believe that it is possible that false vacuum decay has already begun, but so far away that it might not ever reach us.
Climate change.
Every day, when I see or hear someone driving a gas vehicle. So like, all the time.
Obligatory mention of the novel [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schild%27s_Ladder](Schild's Ladder) by Greg Egan.
Such a scenario would be interesting indeed.
His books are always at least a little mind-bending
He is exceptional at writing hard sci-fi that unnerves you.
I'm moderately certain, whichever future timeline we move to, there will be aspects of Egan's works.
Modern day Jules Verne, recommended to read at least one book of his.
Prions
Metastable equilibria.
