• Question: Is it possible for the universe to implode

    Asked by killerpigeon98 to Jonathan, Samantha, Sam on 4 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Jonathan Kay

      Jonathan Kay answered on 4 Jul 2012:

      I don’t know much about this. As far as I can tell the experts don’t agree. Some think that the rate of expansion of the universe is increasing. Others think it will shrink to nothing or nearly nothing. Others think it will alternately shrink and grow.

      The timescale on which this sort of stuff happens is much much longer than any possible survival of life on Earth.

    • Photo: Samantha Weaver

      Samantha Weaver answered on 4 Jul 2012:

      I really don’t know – but I guess anything is possible.

    • Photo: Sam Chilka

      Sam Chilka answered on 4 Jul 2012:

      What Jonathan said. The only thing we are certain of, is that the universe is expanding at the moment. I don’t think any scientists are certain what will happen in the future. But to answer your question, yes some scientists think the universe will stop expanding at some time in the future, and then start shrinking. Would it then continue shrinking to nothing? We simply don’t know, but it would be trillions of years in the future, so none of us will be around then!

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