NationStates Jolt Archive

"No nation lasts for ever. Duh.

In fact, in the long run, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the sun will go nova and the Earth will die. Many many years after that, and the universe will die.

And then? Well... Finis."


SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?...IS EVERYTHING JUST...DONE? GONE.....


if the universe keeps expanding forever....Whats it expanding into?

Time is everything and everything that happened before now and will happen after now....BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE TIME STARTED?????

think about that one for a while.:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

Yanno, there was something about a google years from now...

"No nation lasts for ever. Duh.

In fact, in the long run, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the sun will go nova and the Earth will die. Many many years after that, and the universe will die.

And then? Well... Finis."


SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?...IS EVERYTHING JUST...DONE? GONE..... If it was any of your business the planning committee would have made you immortal.


if the universe keeps expanding forever....Whats it expanding into? Nothing.

Time is everything and everything that happened before now and will happen after now....BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE TIME STARTED????? Kind of like asking what kind of cheese did people eat before anyone invented cheese. Nonsense question. There is no "before" when there is no time.

think about that one for a while.:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

"No nation lasts for ever. Duh.

In fact, in the long run, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the sun will go nova and the Earth will die. Many many years after that, and the universe will die.

And then? Well... Finis."


SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?...IS EVERYTHING JUST...DONE? GONE.....


if the universe keeps expanding forever....Whats it expanding into?

Time is everything and everything that happened before now and will happen after now....BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE TIME STARTED?????

think about that one for a while.
The wondeful thing is, you and your children will be long dead before any of that happens, so it's really nothing to worry about.

There's more important things to think about in this short lifespan than what happens after it.

you recreate it from ashes create a new country then a new empire if you can, if you can't you just retry. Thats what my nation has been doing for last few thousand years anyway.

"No nation lasts for ever. Duh.

In fact, in the long run, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the sun will go nova and the Earth will die. Many many years after that, and the universe will die.

And then? Well... Finis."


SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?...IS EVERYTHING JUST...DONE? GONE.....


if the universe keeps expanding forever....Whats it expanding into?

Time is everything and everything that happened before now and will happen after now....BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE TIME STARTED?????

think about that one for a while.:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:


Is it a universe or is there a multi-verse? parallel worlds, times and dimsensions.

and scientists don't have the slightest idea about whether we live in an open or closed universe. best thing we can do as a species is to continue to advance ourselves. Extend our life spans, work towards immortalism and colonize the stars.

Well, if we find a way to travel to another universe it won't really matter...we're not going to fill up this universe or anything, so we can just keep on growing and advancing until it's time to leave. Wash, rinse, and repeat and the cycle begins anew in another universe...although chances are those inhabitants won't particularly care for it.

Personally, I think the search for the meaning of life can be far more troubling than the end of the physical universe.

Yep, pretty much. Last one out, turn off the lights.

While you're thinking about that, think about this. A point on the outside of a spinning disk (a phonograph record, for the adults in the audience) goes around in a larger circle than a point on the inside. And yet they take the same amount of time to go around. :D

"No nation lasts for ever. Duh.

In fact, in the long run, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the sun will go nova and the Earth will die. Many many years after that, and the universe will die.

And then? Well... Finis."


SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?...IS EVERYTHING JUST...DONE? GONE.....


if the universe keeps expanding forever....Whats it expanding into?

Time is everything and everything that happened before now and will happen after now....BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE TIME STARTED?????

think about that one for a while.:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

*Shrug* Bothered? I mean seriously, when you think how fleeting our lives, the very existence of mankind itself is, yoou have to ask the question 'who cares?'

So the universe will eventually go *phut* and give up. That's so far in the future it gives me a headache just thinking of the number of years it'll be. By that time if we havn't figured out some way to keep ourselves going then presumably we don't deserve to keep going.

Of course, this dilemma is solved to a far greater extent for those of us who are of a religious frame of mind; by the time that sorta stuff goes down a) I'll be in heaven and won't be too fussed anyway and b) the Lord will have returned (presumably - Revelation makes mention of his return to Earth, which would be tricky were it not here, but then with God all things are possible) and a new, unending heaven and earth will have been created, perfect in every way (stick that Mary Poppins).

Lighten up. It won't happen for another 20 billion years, and then the complete lack of anything existing will provide the optimum conditions for another Big Bang.

Yep, pretty much. Last one out, turn off the lights.

While you're thinking about that, think about this. A point on the outside of a spinning disk (a phonograph record, for the adults in the audience) goes around in a larger circle than a point on the inside. And yet they take the same amount of time to go around. :D

Hahaha, that particular little mind-fuck kept me and my friends totally pissed off for days before we eventually forgot about it. What is the actual solution? (And isn't it from Calvin and Hobbes?)

And more on track, has anyone read 'The Last Question' I think it's called, by Asimov? An incredibly intriguing take on this very situation.

Hahaha, that particular little mind-fuck kept me and my friends totally pissed off for days before we eventually forgot about it. What is the actual solution? (And isn't it from Calvin and Hobbes?)

The point on the outside is moving faster than the point on the inside. Pretty basic principle of physics.

We really can't speculate about the nature of the Universe and any potential creator, for all we know there may be no such thing as inevitability.

For all we know science could yield the ability to manipulate the entire universe to our will, bend it around out little finger. (if little fingers even exist then :eek: ) We know nothing of what it actually is so it's not just stranger than we imagine... it's stranger than we can imagine.

Stop worrying about it... I used to cry thinking about death when I was very ickle, then I cried thinking about my generation being the last when I was slightly less ickle.

Now I just accept that to understand such things and to anticipate the future requires a pre-emptive knowledge impossible to get. In short, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it... or warp space time to get across the river instead.

Hey! Why bother about the end of the Universe anyway... it's not like humanity will be here to see it! :D

Hahaha, that particular little mind-fuck kept me and my friends totally pissed off for days before we eventually forgot about it. What is the actual solution? (And isn't it from Calvin and Hobbes?)

And more on track, has anyone read 'The Last Question' I think it's called, by Asimov? An incredibly intriguing take on this very situation.

Very good, yes, it was in a Calvin & Hobbes strip. I guess the answer is that the outside point really is moving faster. Is there a physicist in the house? Don't know the Asimov, though.

Very good, yes, it was in a Calvin & Hobbes strip. I guess the answer is that the outside point really is moving faster. Is there a physicist in the house? Don't know the Asimov, though.

You don't need to be a physicist to know that the outside point is moving faster.

You don't need to be a physicist to know that the outside point is moving faster.

I know, but you don't get to say, "Is there a physicist in the house?" all that often.

actually...isnt it because if you put 2 points exactly across from one another, they are actually not directly across from one another. Something with pi...i think you have to go in a spiral motion towards the outside of a circle to get a point that is truly directly across from the inner point.....

:eek:

There is presently insufficent information and insufficent understanding of how the universe evolves to make any intelligent guesses as to what happens. The very nature of the universe is open to much debate, until such questions are resolved we cannot speculate in an informed manner.

I know, but you don't get to say, "Is there a physicist in the house?" all that often.

Yeah, but I don't think we have a physicists. A few biologists, and we once had a palaeontologist.

either a multi-verse or multiple dimension or layers of realities. either way we are worm-food in an instant compared to the timescales here so don't worry about it.

dragontide: this one is for you: "I Thought you said your patience was infinite? "yes but since space and time are curved, and sooner or later descends upon itself, my patience has now expired"

Yeah, but I don't think we have a physicists. A few biologists, and we once had a palaeontologist.

We need a better recruiting program. A real, live Palaeontologist? Cool. I know Dempubli ... Dempuli ... Dem is a biologist.

We need a better recruiting program. A real, live Palaeontologist? Cool. I know Dempubli ... Dempuli ... Dem is a biologist.

I think the palaeontologist was a poster named Whispering Legs, but I could be wrong. If the forum's still around in about a decade or so, we will hopefully have another palaeontologist.

I think the palaeontologist was a poster named Whispering Legs, but I could be wrong. If the forum's still around in about a decade or so, we will hopefully have another palaeontologist.MMaybe the by then fossilized Eut will attract one?

I think the palaeontologist was a poster named Whispering Legs, but I could be wrong. If the forum's still around in about a decade or so, we will hopefully have another palaeontologist.

Whispering Legs, if I'm not mistaken, is Deep Kimchi. I think he's a lawyer or something.

Whispering Legs, if I'm not mistaken, is Deep Kimchi. I think he's a lawyer or something.

Yeah, I knew it was either DK or the palaeontologist. I know his handle started with a "W".

Yeah, I knew it was either DK or the palaeontologist. I know his handle started with a "W".

What is this "Dark Energy" I read about? some sort of invisible force that is believed to be what is pulling the universe apart. if only we could harness this energy...

What is this "Dark Energy" I read about? some sort of invisible force that is believed to be what is pulling the universe apart. if only we could harness this energy...

Dark Energy is simply catch-all term for the energy that we know is there but can't detect. IIRC, scientists had a recent breakthrough on what causes this effect.

Well, what do you know. I was wrong. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy) It has been detected, albeit indirectly. I doubt it'd be harnessable.

Dark Energy is simply catch-all term for the energy that we know is there but can't detect. IIRC, scientists had a recent breakthrough on what causes this effect.

Why did they have to give it such a cool name? it gets my imagination going.

same thing with Dark Matter.

Dark Energy is simply catch-all term for the energy that we know is there but can't detect. IIRC, scientists had a recent breakthrough on what causes this effect.

Well, what do you know. I was wrong. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy) It has been detected, albeit indirectly. I doubt it'd be harnessable.

yes, opposing force to gravity...thats what I read about. never thought to look it up in Wiki though.

back to Dark Matter...if we were to, make armor or clothing out of it, would we be invisible since it seems to absorb light?

back to Dark Matter...if we were to, make armor or clothing out of it, would we be invisible since it seems to absorb light?

No. Not reflecting light makes things black.

No. Not reflecting light makes things black.


It does? odd.

way to kill my imagination. :D

The point on the outside is moving faster than the point on the inside. Pretty basic principle of physics.

But they're attached :eek: So how can one bit be moving faster and not tear it apart like a wet paper towel? :D:p

But they're attached :eek: So how can one bit be moving faster and not tear it apart like a wet paper towel? :D:p

Them being attached is how it happens. See, the point closer to the center moves, meaning that the point further way also has to move the same percentage of the circle it would go around in. Since the outside circle is larger than the inside one, it moves a larger distance in roughly the same amount of time, which is, of course, an increase in speed.

Them being attached is how it happens. See, the point closer to the center moves, meaning that the point further way also has to move the same percentage of the circle it would go around in. Since the outside circle is larger than the inside one, it moves a larger distance in roughly the same amount of time, which is, of course, an increase in speed.

Hehehe, I know I know - I admit to a slight lapse of memory (hence why I first asked) but I do remember now. I'm just teasing :) (Hence the smilies).

Hehehe, I know I know - I admit to a slight lapse of memory (hence why I first asked) but I do remember now. I'm just teasing :) (Hence the smilies).

I was right? I was just making that stuff up.

I take stock in the theory of brane cosmology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brane_cosmology). Basically, it says that our four dimensional universe is merely a thin membrane, or "brane", floating through a much grander eleven-dimensional space. This grand space, called "the bulk", is full of other branes -- other universes.

I like this theory because it offers an explanation of what happens at the end of the universe. Basically, all of the stars and black holes and such dry up, leaving our brane cold and empty. Then, after untold billions or trillions of years of stillness, our brane bumps up against another brane. This contact would release a ludicrous amount of energy, flash-frying each brane and filling it with substance and light. If true, then this rebirth has happened at least once before -- in the Big Bang.

Heady stuff.

I believe I know that as M-Theory (unless that's different, I don't know much about physics :( ) and I very muchly agree with you.

An infinite amount of universes which are constantly overlapping to produce other "baby" universes which have the combined properties of each. There could even be a donut shaped universe according to some sources I've read... commonly known as "Homer's Heaven".:eek:

I believe I know that as M-Theory (unless that's different, I don't know much about physics :( ) and I very muchly agree with you.
M-theory is not the same as brane theory. M-theory is an amalgation of the five superstring theories.