Order of Kilopi
Just when I'm trying to get my future timeline promoted on Wikipedia, the Big Rip crops up again.
This article appears to conclude that the Big Rip will never happen. However, recent results from China have brought it up again. Unfortunately, I can't make head or tail of it. Can anyone help, please?
Order of Kilopi
I can't make tails of it, but maybe heads. One is that it is uncertain what will happen in the first place. Second, in that article they are using a statistical method. So they're saying something like, if the universe has existed for 13 billion years it's statistically unlikely that it's going to end in the next decade. Chances are that it will last another 10 billion or so. But it's not an observational conclusion, because this would require understanding dark matter, and since we don't really have a clue about what it is, that's impossible.
As above, so below
Established Member
According to Susskind in his GR lectures big rip scenarios, where dark energy density constantly increases, break all the laws of physics. I wouldn't worry about it.Originally Posted by parallaxicality
Order of Kilopi
Susskind, schmusskind. Dark energy already breaks all the laws of physics. There is no way to get the expansion to accelerate even a little without some new physics.
Actually, current thinking (cosmological constant) doesn't have the dark energy density increasing. It stays the same, which is weird enough, since in every other case we know about, the density of something decreases as the volume that it's in increases. The "Dark Energy Story" is far, far from over.
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.
Established Member
Apparently, according to Susskind, its ok to have a constant DE energy density or a decreasing one but not an increasing one. Your last statement I completely agree with though.
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