Scientists unravel universe’s ‘death’: predicts ultimate collapse into a ‘big crunch’

Scientists have made significant strides in understanding the eventual demise of the universe, positing that it will end not with a gradual fade but with a catastrophic “big crunch.” This theory emerges from new observations suggesting that dark energy, a force thought to drive the universe’s expansion, is diminishing over time.

Researchers using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) have created one of the most detailed cosmic maps to date, revealing these crucial insights in just the instrument’s first year of operation. Luz Angela Garcia Penaloza, a cosmologist at Universidad ECCI in Colombia and a former member of the DESI team, observed a decline in the influence of dark energy. This weakening could eventually cause the universe to stop expanding and begin contracting.

This potential reversal, driven by gravity, could pull the universe into a “big crunch,” where it collapses back onto itself, mirroring the expansive forces of the Big Bang but in reverse. The process, according to Luz, would begin imperceptibly but would eventually accelerate to destructive densities.

Martin Bojowald of Pennsylvania State University explains that while the collapse would start harmlessly, with a gradual increase in the universe’s density, it would ultimately reach a critical point. At this stage, the densities would rival those of the Big Bang, leading to catastrophic effects on life as we know it.

While scientists have yet to fully visualize or understand the complete dynamics of the “big crunch,” they are making progress. Luz notes that ongoing observations from DESI and other missions are expected to offer a new, comprehensive view of the universe’s behavior and the role of dark energy in its large-scale structure. These insights promise to redefine our understanding of the cosmic landscape and the ultimate fate of the universe.