What are you looking forward to? Maybe it’s summer vacation, the next episode of your favorite show, or just curling up with a good book. But have you ever thought about the end of the universe? It’s a fascinating concept, and thanks to science, we have some insights into how it might all unfold.
In the final scene of The Sopranos, Tony sits in a diner, enjoying onion rings while Journey plays on the jukebox. The scene cuts to black, leaving viewers wondering about Tony’s fate. Our personal stories are similar—unwritten and unknown. However, the universe’s story is different. Scientists have pieced together a timeline of its eventual end, and spoiler alert: it’s not a happy ending.
In just 100 years, none of us will be here. If the universe’s age were condensed into a single day, our lives would be over in less than the blink of an eye. Stars, which seem fixed in the sky, are actually moving. In 100,000 years, none of the constellations we recognize today will look the same. But don’t worry, our pattern-seeking brains will surely find new ones.
In the next half a million years, Earth might face a climate-altering volcanic eruption or a collision with a 1 km asteroid. These events won’t cause mass extinction, but they could significantly impact life on Earth. Hopefully, by then, we’ll be observing from a safe distance.
As the Sun ages, it gets hotter. In 600 million years, this increased heat will trap more carbon dioxide in Earth’s crust, making photosynthesis impossible for most plants. By 800 million years, all green life will vanish, taking multicellular life with it. A billion years from now, the Sun will boil away the oceans, leaving only bacteria. By 2.8 billion years, even these resilient organisms will disappear, marking the end of life on Earth.
Around this time, the Milky Way will collide with the Andromeda galaxy. Despite sounding catastrophic, galaxies are mostly empty space, so only a few stars might explode into supernovae. If our Sun survives, it will eventually run out of fuel. By 7.9 billion years, it will expand dramatically, consuming Mercury and Venus. Eventually, it will shrink into a white dwarf, cooling over time.
In 150 billion years, the cosmic microwave background will cool to the point of being undetectable, and we’ll lose sight of other galaxies due to the universe’s expansion. After a trillion years, star formation will cease, and 110 trillion years later, all stars will have burned out, leaving the sky dark. Earth will remain until 1 quadrillion years from now, when its orbit decays, and it falls into the remnants of the Sun.
Over the next 1025 years, the dead star will become a black hole, which will eventually evaporate due to Hawking radiation. As the universe continues to expand, any remaining matter will be stretched so thin that it won’t resemble matter at all, leaving the universe essentially empty.
With such a bleak outlook, you might wonder about the point of it all. In 2012, Sopranos creator David Chase explained the show’s final scene, saying, “It’s a cold universe, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it’s cold. It’s really cold, and we don’t know what’s up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there’s a sun. What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?”
So, stay curious and cherish the connections we have. The future is coming faster than we think, and there’s always more to explore and learn.
Create a visual timeline of the universe’s end as described in the article. Use creative tools like Canva or a poster board to illustrate key events, such as the Sun’s transformation and the Milky Way’s collision with Andromeda. This will help you visualize the vast time scales involved and understand the sequence of cosmic events.
Engage in a classroom debate about the potential challenges Earth might face in the next half a million years. Consider the impact of volcanic eruptions and asteroid collisions. Research current scientific predictions and discuss possible solutions or preventive measures humanity could take.
Write a short story set in the distant future, imagining life on Earth or another planet as the universe approaches its end. Incorporate scientific concepts from the article, such as the Sun’s expansion or the darkening sky, and explore how future civilizations might adapt to these changes.
Use a computer simulation tool to model the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Observe how stars interact and predict the potential outcomes for our solar system. This activity will deepen your understanding of galactic dynamics and the scale of cosmic events.
Participate in a group discussion about the philosophical implications of the universe’s end. Reflect on the quote from David Chase and consider what gives life meaning in the face of such a vast and cold universe. Share your thoughts on how love and human connections can provide comfort and purpose.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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What are you looking forward to? Summer vacation? The next episode of your favorite show? Curling up with a good book? How about the end of the universe, right? Isn’t that an interesting thought?
In the final scene of *The Sopranos*, Tony sits at a diner eating onion rings, Journey is playing on the jukebox, and various characters enter the restaurant one after another. All of a sudden, Tony looks up and… Yeah, people were a little disappointed. They were disappointed because we never found out how Tony’s story ends. And it’s the same with your story, or mine. The ending hasn’t been written. But that’s not true for the universe. Thanks to science, we know how it ends. Spoilers: It doesn’t end particularly well.
In just 100 years, we’ll all be gone. You. Me. Every person who’s alive today. If the age of the universe up until now was condensed to one day, our lives would be over in less time than a bat is in contact with a baseball. On the scale of human lifespans, they may appear fixed in the sky. But they are moving, and in 100,000 years, not a single constellation we know today will be recognizable. But since our brains are fine-tuned to see patterns, I’m sure we’ll find new ones.
Speaking of sports, by this time, the Cubs have almost certainly won another World Series. Of course, nothing in science is guaranteed. Unlike Chicago’s World Series hopes, disasters are a matter of when, not if. Some time within the next half a million years, Earth will almost certainly experience a climate-altering volcanic eruption or be hit by a 1 km asteroid. Not enough to cause mass extinction, but still… I hope we’re viewing it from afar.
As the Sun gets older, it’s getting hotter. In 600 million years, our intensified sun will cause more carbon dioxide to be trapped in Earth’s crust. So much so that photosynthesis becomes impossible for 99% of Earth’s plants. By 800 million years from now, every green thing on Earth is dried up, and all multicellular life with them. Unfortunately, that includes us. We wouldn’t want to be around for what comes next anyway. A billion years from now, our intensified sun boils the oceans away, and only bacteria remain. But by 2.8 billion years in the future, even those tiny stragglers have run out of time. Life on Earth goes “poof.” We had a good 6.5 billion years, didn’t we?
Around this time, the Milky Way collides with our neighbor Andromeda. It sounds violent, but galaxies are mostly empty space. Maybe six out of a trillion stars explode into supernovae. Assuming our star makes it out in one piece, by this time it starts to run out of gas. By 7.9 billion years, our sun swells up more than 250 times wider than it is today. Mercury and Venus are gone. That planet-eating balloon deflates 9.5 billion years down the line, leaving a white dwarf in its place. At this point, things cool off for a while. Literally.
In 150 billion years, we lose sight of the Big Bang, and the cosmic microwave background cools to a point that it’s undetectable. Thanks to the expanding universe, we lose sight of all galaxies but our own. After a trillion years, stars stop forming in the universe, but it takes 110 trillion years for all of them to flicker out. This is where the sky goes dark. The Earth is still around until 1 quadrillion years from now. Then, like all orbits, our orbit decays, and we plunge back into the black dwarf that used to be our sun.
Over the next 10^25 years, the dead star that remains will transform into a black hole. And those are interesting phenomena. But they won’t last forever. Even the largest black holes will likely evaporate, thanks to a phenomenon called Hawking radiation. As the minuscule leftovers continue to expand, anything that remains will be stretched so far apart that it really doesn’t resemble matter at all. After that, the universe is basically empty.
So what’s the point of anything if it all ends? In 2012, *Sopranos* creator David Chase finally explained the meaning of the final scene in *The Sopranos*. He said: “It’s a cold universe, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it’s cold. It’s really cold, and we don’t know what’s up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there’s a sun. What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?”
Stay curious.
These videos are part of a PBS-wide collaboration all about the future, so head on over to these other great Digital Studios channels and check out their videos. Because the future’s going to be here before you know it.
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Universe – The totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space; the cosmos; macrocosm. – The universe is constantly expanding, leading scientists to explore the implications for the future of cosmic structures.
Stars – Massive, luminous spheres of plasma held together by gravity, undergoing nuclear fusion. – Stars like our Sun are crucial for the existence of life on Earth, providing light and heat necessary for survival.
Galaxies – Large systems of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. – The Milky Way is one of billions of galaxies in the universe, each containing millions or even billions of stars.
Black Hole – A region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape. – The discovery of a black hole at the center of our galaxy has provided insights into the dynamics of galactic evolution.
Expansion – The increase in distance between parts of the universe over time, as described by the Big Bang theory. – The expansion of the universe suggests that galaxies are moving away from each other, a phenomenon first observed by Edwin Hubble.
Asteroid – A small rocky body orbiting the sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. – Scientists study asteroids to understand the early solar system and assess potential threats to Earth.
Carbon – A chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6, essential to all known life forms. – Carbon is a fundamental component of organic molecules, making it a key element in the study of biochemistry and life sciences.
Photosynthesis – The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll. – Photosynthesis is crucial for converting solar energy into chemical energy, sustaining the food chain on Earth.
Supernovae – The explosion of a star, resulting in an extremely bright, short-lived object that emits vast amounts of energy. – Supernovae play a critical role in dispersing elements throughout the universe, contributing to the formation of new stars and planets.
Climate – The long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation. – Understanding Earth’s climate is essential for predicting weather patterns and addressing the impacts of climate change.
