The Cosmological Constant Smooth Tension

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

We don't know if it's a cosmological constant or not. It may be something that changes over time in a different kind of way. We call it dark energy because we don't know what it is and we can't see it but it's making the universe expand faster. And you have a better name for it, right? Yeah, I tried to call it smooth tension because tension is a negative pressure and that's really what it is. Like all my great ideas are before their time.

Cosmologists are always talking excitedly about the Big Bang and all the cool stuff that happened in the 14 billion years between then and now. But what about the future? We don't know for sure, but we know enough about the laws of physics to sketch out several plausible scenarios for what the future of our universe will hold. Katie Mack is a cosmologist who is writing a book about the end of the universe. We talk about the possibilities of a Big Crunch (and potential Big Bounce), a gentle cooling off where the universe gradually grows silent, and of course the prospect of a dramatic phase transition, otherwise known as the "bubble of quantum death." Which would make a great name for a band, I think we can all agree.

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Katherine (Katie) Mack received her Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University, where her research centers on theoretical cosmology, including dark matter and black holes. She is also a member of NCSU’s Leadership in Public Science Cluster. Her upcoming book, The End of Everything, will be published in 2020.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.