Universe could end sooner than we think

New model suggests Hawking radiation is speeding cosmic decay

- Chris Lintott

Scientists have long predicted that the Universe's lifetime is effectively forever - specifically, 101100 years.

But now scientists from Radboud University have found that the Universe is decaying much quicker than previously thought, calculating that the last remnants of stars will perish in just 1078 years instead.

"The ultimate end of the Universe comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time," says Heino Falcke, black hole expert and lead scientist on the research. The researchers arrived at this shorter timeframe by considering evaporation due to Hawking radiation.

Hawking radiation, proposed by Stephen Hawking in 1974, is a phenomenon where particles and radiation can escape from the immense gravitational pull of a black hole. If a black hole is emitting particles and radiation, it means that over time it will decay.