Shoutbox

quote:

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Originally posted by DJeX in that other thread, about religion
I'd like to ask a question to everyone relating to there beliefs. What is your view on the end of the world? Obviously I have my thoughts but I'm curious what others think. and if you do think there will be an end when do you think it will be?

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End of the world?

Hmm tricky.

If you define "end of the world" as "end of the planet Earth", then it's probable that the Sun will expand and engulf planet Earth, vavoom, end of "the world".

If you define "end of the world" as "end of the human race", we'll either wipe ourselves out (unlikely, tbh - it won't be long before we have people living on the moon [give it 20-25 years] making it hard to exterminate us) or be destroyed by the big crunch.

If you define "end of the world" as "end of the universe", meet the big crash.

An explanation on "the big crunch":
It's common theory among the scientific community that the universe was created by an event called "the big bang". Basically, everything was created from a single particle ("singularity"). The "big crunch" theory states that the eventually the universe will collapse back to this singularity.

It almost fits in with the Buddist teachings of the universe being created and recreated, as there's nothing to say that the big big and crunch aren't repetitive.

Which means the universe may actually be older than the 13.7 billion years since the last big bang

Although (taken from Wikipedia): "However, recent experimental evidence (namely the observation of distant supernovae as standard candles, and the well-resolved mapping of the cosmic microwave background) have—to most scientists' considerable surprise—shown that the expansion of the universe is not being slowed down by gravity, but instead, accelerating, suggesting that the universe will not end with a Big Crunch, but will instead expand forever, though some scientists have contested this theory. (The evidence of an accelerating universe has been considered conclusive by most cosmologists since 2002.)"

So, no end to the universe... so it's possible that humanity could exist... forever.