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.

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.

  • anugeshtu@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    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.eeEnglish
      7·
      22 hours ago

      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?

      • anugeshtu@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 hours 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”.