Thread: End of Universe

Hi guys. I need some help. I feel kind of stupid doing this over the internet but the anonymity that this board affords me helps me put it out on the table...

I've always been very interested in the universe around me. To me, an understanding of the cosmos has seemed to be much more important than everything else because it seems to portray the grandest of all schemes. However, it seems now that the more I delve into this topic, the more I learn about the end of the universe. From what I have read so far, in one way or another, the entire universe will die whether by Heat Death or the Big Rip or some other way.

After learning about all this, I've become very sad... depressed almost at times. Even if these events won't happen anytime in the imaginable future, what is the point of my existence if, in the end, nothing will matter at all?

I was watching the history channel the other day and these two Caltech researchers were talking about this topic and smiling about it and cracking jokes and stuff, and I was wondering how they possibly could cope with the depressing implications of all their research... So far, I've gotten by with just thinking about other, happier things... how do you guys cope with it?

Originally Posted by rheemixed

Hi guys. I need some help. I feel kind of stupid doing this over the internet but the anonymity that this board affords me helps me put it out on the table...

I've always been very interested in the universe around me. To me, an understanding of the cosmos has seemed to be much more important than everything else because it seems to portray the grandest of all schemes. However, it seems now that the more I delve into this topic, the more I learn about the end of the universe. From what I have read so far, in one way or another, the entire universe will die whether by Heat Death or the Big Rip or some other way.

After learning about all this, I've become very sad... depressed almost at times. Even if these events won't happen anytime in the imaginable future, what is the point of my existence if, in the end, nothing will matter at all?

I was watching the history channel the other day and these two Caltech researchers were talking about this topic and smiling about it and cracking jokes and stuff, and I was wondering how they possibly could cope with the depressing implications of all their research... So far, I've gotten by with just thinking about other, happier things... how do you guys cope with it?

Assuming religion is a load of crap, and when we die we just become non-existent, I cope with it by...not caring. I won't exist by the time that happens, so it won't be of much concern to me; not even my great grand kids will be alive, so...yea. I just live my life until I die, after which I don't care anymore, because I don't exist anymore.

Why stress over the significance of existence, when you're gonna eventually become non-existent anyway?

Since on death that's it, it kinda makes you realise that either everythings pointless so why bother, or that this is the only chance we get to experience anything so why not bother.

Hi,
The universe was create due to a theory called as "Big Bang" as so called by the Scientists.The bang was such a huge one that it scattered all the mass in great unbelievable directions.The mass slowly got cooled and the planets were formed.But do you know that the universe is expanding and the planets are moving from each other?I read this topic and so here I am getting to answer to this.The next step is when the universe expands there is a stage when the universe starts to shrink in size and this will happen after a million years and there is no need for now to get feared about it.

getting depressed over something that may or may not happen in several billions of years is definitely taking the long view

i'd try not to take it too personally if i were you

hey put it this way, We will be long dead from Algore's speaches on Global Warming before anything like that can happen

you want global warming ? when the sun turns into a red giant, you'll need a giant air conditioner to keep cool

still, i wouldn't bank on being around in 5 billion years time

hmmm, I don't honestly care about what happens 5 billion years from now in a 'touchy-feely' way. Don't get me wrong I am interested in it from a scientific point of view but that is about it

rheemixed,

It may happen that the end is just a new beginning. You can read this to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

About coping: if that article interested you, try learning some hindu philosophy (not that you become a convert, just learn about it). If you prefer to stay within western borders, try reading Spinoza and learn that in this universe there is no teleology. Another possibility is learning some history of science in order to see theories as theories and differentiate them from facts.

All this possible paths have something in comon: learning. The more you learn the more you know the importance of everything and learn to question everything. For example, you mention the word "cosmos" which is the universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious whole. Einstein said that he believed in Spinoza's god, but for Spinoza there is no order in the universe (see Einstein's God). Had you ever considered this is not a cosmos?

Best regards,

César

Theres nothing to get depressed about, just be grateful that you/we are here in the first place.

Nope. Nothing matters. Get used to it. Embrace it. Understand it. And then do some things that you enjoy and forget about it.

Ron

Originally Posted by rheemixed

After learning about all this, I've become very sad... depressed almost at times. Even if these events won't happen anytime in the imaginable future, what is the point of my existence if, in the end, nothing will matter at all?

I think before you become depressed about something that will happen billions of years from now, you should become more concerned with how royally flawed our current human-implemented systems are (government and otherwise).

Here is my take: If you're forgotten, then everything you've done wont matter. But if you are remembered, even in some small way, it makes it all worth while. Naturally this varies from person to person.

I was watching the history channel the other day and these two Caltech researchers were talking about this topic and smiling about it and cracking jokes and stuff, and I was wondering how they possibly could cope with the depressing implications of all their research... So far, I've gotten by with just thinking about other, happier things... how do you guys cope with it?

You don't "cope", there's absolutely no reason to be bothered by it. You accept it. If you view the world in such rose-tinted glasses that you become depressed as the possibility of it ending, then you aren't living in reality.

It seems a bit unlikely that we will die, since the ceasing of existence will be the absolute last thing that ever happens. And let's face it, even if all line up along the time coordinate, only that will take an eternity, by definition.

Originally Posted by LeavingQuietly

And let's face it, even if all line up along the time coordinate, only that will take an eternity, by definition.

whose definition ?

If infinity falls to the time line, time becomes eternal.

Originally Posted by LeavingQuietly

If infinity falls to the time line, time becomes eternal.

so that would be your definition

Yes. Time will only expand its length as long as something else looses its dimensions to it, time being an dimension and all.