What is the fate of the universe?

[Unnickporser]

What is the duration of universe?

 

[berkeman]

What is the duration of universe?

Welcome to the PF.

Could you please clarify your question? By '"duration" do you mean how old the universe is now? If so, that is easy to find with Google or Wikipedia.

Or do you mean what would be the total lifetime of the universe? If you mean total lifetime, are you familiar with the difference between "open" and "closed" models of the universe?

 

[TheScienceOrca]

I think this is a spin of my thread just post on it, it already has a reply from a reputable member which I will be soon to comment on.

 

[Unnickporser]

Well, I referred to duration like I said, to lifetime, not time from big bang. Anyway, in Wikipedia there is only diverse stimation from different models, but not a really response to the question anyway

 

[Chronos]

There are different ways to answer the question. The conventional view is the universe arose ~13.7 billion years ago in what is called the Big Bang. It is, however, unclear if time itself originated with the Big Bang, or, the BB was preceded by some yet unknown precursor state or states. Some have even suggested the universe is stuck in a time loop that endlessly repeats [e.g., bouncing cosmologies]. In that sense it could be said the age of the 'universe' [in the sense of all that is or ever was] is undefinable.

 

[Drakkith]

Well, I referred to duration like I said, to lifetime, not time from big bang. Anyway, in Wikipedia there is only diverse stimation from different models, but not a really response to the question anyway

If you don't mean lifetime, then what do you mean?

 

[TheScienceOrca]

I will translate his comment;

"Well, I referred to duration like I said, to lifetime, not time from big bang. Anyway, in Wikipedia there is only diverse stimation from different models, but not a really response to the question anyway"Means: How long will the universe exist for not how long it as has existed.Analysis: He wants to know how long the universe will exist for.

Answer: There are many "end of the universe" theories such as a deep freeze. Or string field theory which has bubbles merging and splitting I guess.They are all theory but are fun to take a look at.

 

[Garrulo]

But this is a neccesary knowing because finite real statistics used in physics and all of sciences need to know how many times a random phenomemon will ocurr. There are people seeking through Planck units, but , I would like to know it too. What is the duration (from the start to the end), not the actual age of universe? And its dimensions?

 

[Drakkith]

But this is a neccesary knowing because finite real statistics used in physics and all of sciences need to know how many times a random phenomemon will ocurr. There are people seeking through Planck units, but , I would like to know it too. What is the duration (from the start to the end), not the actual age of universe? And its dimensions?

I'm sorry I can't make heads or tails of your post.

 

[Garrulo]

I don´t understand you , sorry, my english no good. Could you tell it about other words

 

[Drakkith]

I don´t understand you , sorry, my english no good. Could you tell it about other words

I said, I do not understand your question. Are you asking how big the universe is and how long it will exist?

 

[Garrulo]

Yes, this is my question

 

[phinds]

Yes, this is my question

Neither the size nor the expected life span of the universe is known.

The size may be infinite or it may be finite but bounded. If it is finite, the size is not known.

There is currently no reason to believe that the lifetime of the universe will be infinite, but in any case, it will certainly last for many orders of magnitude longer than it has so far.

 

[Drakkith]

Yes, this is my question

We don't know how big the universe is. We also do not know how long it will exist for.

 

[phinds]

We don't know how big the universe is. We also do not know how long it will exist for.

Garrulo, as you can see, here on the Physics Forum, some of us like to repeat answers that have already been given. ;)

 

[Garrulo]

It is said that actual quantum theories can´t measure times longer than 10¹⁸ s, and this is the reason because we measure this quantity for the universe age

 

[Garrulo]

It is said that actual quantum theories can´t measure times longer than 10¹⁸ s, and this is the reason because we measure this quantity for the universe age

Mi question is not trivial. We use probability all times, but probabilities small are not possible in function of the number of experiments that can be done in the universe about the experiment we wish know if a determinate event can ocurr. For example, age of universe is around 10¹⁸ s, and universe radius is around 10¹⁸ m. An event of an experiment done in a meter length laboratory with duration of one second have a probability of 10^-36 can be discharged

 

[phinds]

It is said that actual quantum theories can´t measure times longer than 10¹⁸ s, and this is the reason because we measure this quantity for the universe age

HUH? Where did you hear this? Sounds like nonsense to me. Can you give me a citation?

 

[phinds]

Mi question is not trivial. We use probability all times, but probabilities small are not possible in function of the number of experiments that can be done in the universe about the experiment we wish know if a determinate event can ocurr. For example, age of universe is around 10¹⁸ s, and universe radius is around 10¹⁸ m. An event of an experiment done in a meter length laboratory with duration of one second have a probability of 10^-36 can be discharged

I can't make any sense at all out of this post. Can you say it differently?

 

[William Donald]

We do not know the duration of a typical universes lifetime, because the only universe we can observe is our own, and we can't even observe all of it. Our universe right now is to be an estimated 13.8 billion years old; however, that could be only a small chunk of how long they survive for. It could also be long overdue for an end or retraction.

Maybe one day we will come close to an answer, but for now; we have to rely on what we can observe and learn. From there we will gain insight.

 

[diogenesNY]

A suggestion for a book that deals with the age and possible fate(s) of the Universe, while exploring the various models and dependencies for each is

The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity by Fred C. Adams and Greg Laughlan, Published by Basic Books, originally in 1999, and a new and updated edition (with considerable revisions based on data observed in the interim) is either shortly pending or just published.

Some links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684865769/?tag=pfamazon01-20
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Ages_of_the_Universe
http://search.library.duke.edu/search?id=UNCb3255991
http://www.dogpile.com/search/web?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=27&q=the+five+ages+of+the+universe&ql=

I really enjoyed this book. It expresses the various models of what and when. A unitary model is not the Soup of the Day. The book goes into a great deal of detail as to which models are dependent on the answers to specific questions that we may have an idea (but not a confident model) of, such as the possibility of proton decay and what happens if they do/don't, and what are the implications.

The book obviously employs some speculation as to the deep future but it tries to hew as closely as possible to something of an if X then Y model based on mainstream, but not watered down or overly popularized physics. (There are a few 'outside the mainstream' sidebars, but that is more in service to expressing the range and depth of the research landscape).

I am looking forward to reading the revised edition, particularly as the last 15 or so years has revealed and clarified much in this field (and raised other questions as well).

FWIW, Basic Books is a very respectable publisher as regards particularly up-to-the-minute science literature for a general audience.
http://www.basicbooks.com/
http://www.periodicplayground.com/

I suspect that this book might go a long way to satisfying the OP's (and anybody else's, for that matter) curiosity on the subject.

diogenesNY