• Feathercrown@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    1 day ago

    Luckily, this is the epitome of that Epicurus quote:

    Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?

    • jwt@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      3 hours ago

      Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not

      Death will be, so we will cease to be. Sounds like he is was whistling past the graveyard with that quote…

    • iAvicenna@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      13 hours ago

      didnt need the wikipedia page. soon as I read a couple pop sci articles on this I was like “welp this shit sounds dangerous it was nice to know you all”

  • Xanthrax@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    40
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    Wikipedia:

    "threat

    If our universe is in a false vacuum state rather than a true vacuum state, then the decay from the less stable false vacuum to the more stable true vacuum (called false vacuum decay) could have dramatic consequences.[5][6] The effects could range from complete cessation of existing fundamental forces, elementary particles and structures comprising them, to subtle change in some cosmological parameters, mostly depending on the potential difference between true and false vacuum. Some false vacuum decay scenarios are compatible with the survival of structures like galaxies, stars,[7][8] and even biological life,[9] while others involve the full destruction of baryonic matter[10] or even immediate gravitational collapse of the universe.[11] In this more extreme case, the likelihood of a “bubble” forming is very low (i.e. false vacuum decay may be impossible).[12] "

    Also, of course there’s a Kurzesagt

  • ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    2 days ago

    If our particular bubble of the universe has remained unmolested for 13.8 billion years, it is safe to assume it will continue to be for the next 1000 years.

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 day ago

      Also it’s not like assuming it will collapse in the next decade will make any difference other than having a harder time enjoying the time before then.

    • markinov@lemmygrad.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      i don’t know quantum mechanics or much about particles. I watched a video on False vacuum decay, and it says if higgs change state it might change the laws of physics

      So can’t it be that the universe had change of states of other particles maybe in past (billions year before life) that changed the laws of physics and so on.

    • BellaDonna
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      Until we build a particle accelerator that does something novel that even the rest of the universe never managed to do