A Giant Atoms Experiment Just Simulated The Scariest Way For The Universe To End

Summary: Imagine if the entire universe could just pop like a bubble! Scientists say the scariest way the universe could end is called "False Vacuum Decay." This means our universe might be resting in a temporary, unstable energy state. If it suddenly drops to a lower, more stable state (a "true vacuum"), a bubble of destruction would wipe out everything at the speed of light.

Recently, physicists used lasers and giant, puffed-up atoms called Rydberg atoms to simulate this exact scary event in a lab. Don't worry, though—it was just a tiny quantum experiment to study physics, not the real end of the world!

Source: rssapp-iflscience-com URL: iflscience.com/giant-atoms-experiment-simulates-the-scariest-way-for-the-universe-to-end-83333 (opens in new tab)