Astronomers detect biggest explosion in the history of the Universe

[Timboo]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/phys.org/news/2020-02-astronomers-biggest-explosion-history-universe.amp

 

[Ibix]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/phys.org/news/2020-02-astronomers-biggest-explosion-history-universe.amp

Oh for cryin' out loud! I refer you to my previous answer:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/ligo-virgo-saw-something-unknown.983104/#post-6295649

 

[Timboo]

Oh for cryin' out loud! I refer you to my previous answer:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/ligo-virgo-saw-something-unknown.983104/#post-6295649

its the biggest explosion ever, can't be good for the universe or us. As per a comment I read it could be the reset of the universe or possibly beginning of vacuum decay no?

As science fiction tends to portend the worst case scenarios of probable non-fiction events, it may help us to consider the make up and mechanism of a black hole. Where the event horizon of a black hole is division between ordinary matter and dark matter, there is an abundance of anti-matter generated upon this division. As promoted in the science fiction novel, 'Shadow-Forge Revelations', a near 'Selfish Biocosmic' occurrence is caused by creating a path through the event horizon, allowing the immixture of anti-matter with dark matter. Note: 'Selfish Biocosm' is a belief wherein the anthropic qualities that our universe exhibits can be explained as incidental consequences of an enormously lengthy cosmic replication cycle in which our cosmos duplicates itself and propagates a new universe. In this novel make over of such a hypothetical possibility, the ramifications proposed are that this event would overwrite the current universe in favor of its new universe. #shadowforgerevel

 

[Ibix]

As per a comment I read it could be the reset of the universe or possibly beginning of vacuum decay no?

No it couldn't. False vacuum decay is a theoretical concept which (a) assumes we're in a false vacuum, which is far from certain, and (b) isn't something you can see happening.

I repeat: stop panicking. This is a one-off event that happened nearly 400 million years ago, so far away that only our best telescopes can even see it. If you are going to catastrophise every cosmology-related article you read, I suggest you stop reading (not something you will often hear me advise). That's my last word on the subject.

 

[russ_watters]

its the biggest explosion ever, can't be good for the universe or us.

Provocative title; we've only had radio astronomy for about 50 years, so the most we can say is it's the biggest seen in the short time we've been capable of seeing them.

And no, the universe doesn't care and if were hadn't been looking we would not have even known.

As per a comment I read it could be the reset of the universe or possibly beginning of vacuum decay no?

That's basically gibberish, so no.

 

[Timboo]

I don’t understand how it is gibberish and not possible

 

[russ_watters]

I don’t understand how it is gibberish and not possible

Well you tell me: what does "reset the universe" mean? What would it look like? What scientific theory describes it? And how exactly is it related to this event?

Another name for what you are doing is "handwaving".

 

[jedishrfu]

@Timboo why are you so preoccupied with various dangers?

We look at things and decide whether we are in harm's way and plan accordingly. However, there are some events that we can never plan for, even if we can anticipate them. A massive meteor impact is one such event. We have limited means to detect one and limited means to deflect a meteor if discovered. We have to live with that and go on about our lives.

There is an old Buddhist story of a farmer who hung his grain from the rafters to protect against critters eating it and sleeping underneath it dreamed of how successful he would become once he planted them. Unbeknownst to him, the mice gnawed at the rope and he was killed by the falling seed bag ending his dreams.

The moral is just live your life each day,
enjoying the things that come your way,
and be not afraid of scary events so far away.

 

[Timboo]

But millions of years ago it was far away, not now

 

[jedishrfu]

Then how do you protect yourself?

 

[member 656954]

I don’t understand how it is gibberish and not possible

I've read sci-fi all my life, @Timboo, love the stuff and now I've even started writing it! But it is mostly fiction with very little science because the science tells us all sorts of things are not possible, and that makes story telling, well, boring.

Even from your description. it is clear the concept of 'Selfish Biocosmic' is story telling (also known as make believe) because:

1. The event horizon of a black hole is not a division between ordinary matter and dark matter.
2. There is not an abundance of anti-matter generated upon this division.
3. An event horizon only allows one-ways paths - everything in, nothing out - so there is no "immixture of anti-matter with dark matter". (And anti-matter is not some magic type of matter, so it won't 'mix' with dark matter in any event.)

This means that there is no mechanism for black holes to 'reset the universe', it is basically just the author have some narrative fun.

With the concept of vacuum decay, assuming that it is even possible - and there is zero evidence that it is - then it propagates at the speed of light. On that basis, this explosion has not triggered a universal phase transition, because, as we've seen the explosion, we'd also have already been overrun by the vacuum decay.

Bauer's two Shadow-Forge novels are a hodgepodge of ideas thematically aligned to a good vs. evil trope, but even the author acknowledges it is make believe, describing Shadow-Forge Revelations as a "paranormal fantasy".

So, literally nothing existential to worry about from this very explosive cosmic event, it is merely a reminder that the universe is both huge and awesome

 

[Timboo]

So this is bad then possibly vacuum decay that started

 

[member 656954]

So this is bad then possibly vacuum decay that started

As I said, there is ZERO evidence for vacuum decay. It is fantasy, sci-fi make believe, and literally nothing to worry about. Getting in a car is infinitely more risky to your health than vacuum decay will ever be!

 

[Timboo]

With the concept of vacuum decay, assuming that it is even possible - and there is zero evidence that it is - then it propagates at the speed of light. On that basis, this explosion has not triggered a universal phase transition, because, as we've seen the explosion, we'd also have already been overrun by the vacuum decay.

How would be we overrun if it’s that far away?

 

[Timboo]

As I said, there is ZERO evidence for vacuum decay. It is fantasy, sci-fi make believe, and literally nothing to worry about. Getting in a car is infinitely more risky to your health than vacuum decay will ever be!

As per Katie Mack it is very possible
Especially with the evaporation of primordial black hole or high powered universe explosions

 

[russ_watters]

Ok, that's enough. This thread is locked. If anyone wants to open a new thread to discuss this interesting cosmological event, feel free. Such a thread may not include speculation about risks to us.