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Universe May Be Running Out of Time

RenHoek writes "With heat death, the big crunch and quite a few other nasty ways in which the universe could see its demise, we can now add "running out of time" to the list. A team of scientists came up with a new theory that would solve the problem of the elusive dark energy that seems to be accelerating the expansion of the universe. They figure that the universe is not speeding up but we are, in relation to the outer regions of space, slowing down. Tests with the upcoming Large Hadron Collider will give more insight if we're going to end up frozen in time."

33 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. last post! by yagu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ha, you only think this is offtopic!

    1. Re:last post! by davidsyes · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think those guys have too much time on their hands... but that can be a topic for another... time...

      --
      Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  2. Time ... by foobsr · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... to book at Milliways !!!

    CC.

    --
    TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
    1. Re:Time ... by bckrispi · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'll book next year. This year I'm spending dead for tax reasons.

      --
      Xenon, where's my money? -Borno
  3. The sooner... by iknownuttin · · Score: 1, Funny
    the better....

    With heat death, the big crunch and quite a few other nasty ways in which the universe could see its demise, we can now add "running out of time" to the list.

    Sorry, it's the Holidays getting me down.

    --
    I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
  4. Running out of time by CandlJack · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's our time. We needs more of it. I suppose we could try a time transplant.

    1. Re:Running out of time by Kazymyr · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have some time-enlarging pills for sale if you're interested.

      --
      I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet -Stanislaw Lem
  5. Oh noes!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    As long as we figure out if Pat is a man or a woman before time stops, I am content.

  6. ManBearPig! by stewbacca · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mr. Gore, have you been submitting stories to slashdot again?

    1. Re:ManBearPig! by fyrie · · Score: 4, Funny

      Global Slowing (tm) is a CRISIS. Thankfully I've come up with a system of time credits that should alleviate the problem.

  7. Pretty vague description of the problem... by GradiusCVK · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ms. Cartman: Doctor, did you find out what's wrong with him?
    Doctor: I'm afraid he's running out of time.
    Ms. Cartman: Why, what's wrong with him?
    Doctor: It's his time. It's running out.
    Ms. Cartman: What can we do?
    Doctor: Well, I suppose we can try a time transplant. I'll have to call a specialist.

  8. event horizon by fifedrum · · Score: 4, Funny

    is this further evidence that we're approaching a black hole? The whole, unverse appears to be accelerating away from us in all directions thing?

    kinda freakin' me out here people, if time slows down too much, it'll be 2:45 Friday afternoon forever!

  9. 3d Realms call to action by psbrogna · · Score: 5, Funny

    I believe this announcement should be taken as a wake up call by the Duke Nukem Forever developers. I'm standing by to place my order while the cosmos collapses around me.

  10. Time for Dr. Dan Streetmentioner's... by gardyloo · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... "Time Traveler's Handbook of 1001 Tense Formations"

  11. Time better not stop yet! by Dareth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Fear, long time (relative) slashdotter gets a girl, starts a family and then time stops!

    Great! Just Great!

    My daughter is due early May 2008... not sure what would be worse.. my wife stuck forever pregnant, baby (diapers), or her as a teenager!

    --

    I only look human.
    My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
  12. Run out of time? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite. Zathras is finite. This... is wrong tool. [rummaging] No, not good. Not good. No. No-- never use this!

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  13. Re:Add to that by calebt3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We can only hope.

  14. Obligatory Babylon 5 quote by GuruBuckaroo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Zathras: "Cannot run out of time. Time is infinite. You, are finite. Zathras if finite. This.... is wrong tool."

    --
    Poor means hoping the toothache goes away.
  15. Re:Er... wha? by plague3106 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Come on, really now. It came from the Flying Spagetti Monster. Heathen.

  16. Anyone else notice? by springbox · · Score: 5, Funny

    I always seem to read Large Hadron Collider as "Large Hardon Collider." Not sure how that's related to science.

    1. Re:Anyone else notice? by Woy · · Score: 2, Funny

      And to control it they are using the next version of Ubuntu, called Hairy Hardon.

      --
      "If God created us in his own image we have more than reciprocated." - Voltaire
  17. Re:Read the last line of the article first by calebt3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do you think we got most of our current theories? Fortune cookies in Chinese take-out.
  18. EXCELSIOR!! by thatskinnyguy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey! Someday he will save the world from immanent destruction and even you will say "Thank you Al Gore! You're super awesome!"

    --
    The game.
  19. Let's all concentrate... by Mantrid · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's all concentrate on making a big red cloud around the world, then we can remove ourselves from this universe all together!

  20. Re:er...define 'constant'... by Lev13than · · Score: 4, Funny

    The problem with TFA is that it makes little logical sense. In what possible sense can time be "slowing down?" "Slowing down" is a statement that something is changing less per unit time. If you like, that dx/dt is negative. I'm sure the physics makes sense, but the language in this news article does not. If anyone knows what the actual science is, I at least would be grateful for a better explanation than this news article provides. Anyone?

    Try to visualize this using kettles. The easiest way to slow the progress of time is to watch a kettle while it boils. If that analogy doesn't work for you, you can get a similar effect by boiling an egg or visiting a proctologist.
    In order to replicate the study, you start with a single kettle (today) and then progressively add more kettles until the universe is composed entirely of kettles boiling water (end time). Kettles all the way down, as it were.

    --
    When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
  21. Re:time? by WoodstockJeff · · Score: 2, Funny

    Silly person, this is all a result of George Bush's efforts to accelerate global warming by increasing the profits of his Big Oil buddies, by pushing to reach Peak Oil and cause a global recession!

  22. Re:So we are becomming a black hole? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe some sort of exra-dimensional black hole that we cannot detect with our current telescopes? Well, the thing about a black hole - it's main distinguishing feature - is it's black. And the thing about space, the colour of space, your basic space colour - is it's black. So how are you supposed to see them?
    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  23. Wake-up Call by oahazmatt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Clearly, this is a wake-up call for the Universe. Our dependency on time must not continue if we are to survive. Contact your President, your Prime Minister, all of your representatives and demand investigations into alternative time resources.

    Perhaps something corn-based.

    --
    Those who believe the Internet is private,
    find their privates are on the Internet.
  24. Fundamental error by sam_handelman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Their calculations are off because they are educated to be evil, and fail to appreciate that each day is actually four days long!.

      When you account for this 1:4 ratio, the extra dark energy drops out of the equations, and the universe does not collapse into an academic singularity, but into four nodes, two major and two minor! The academic community will not teach this because it is brainwashing.

      (Actually, I just really want this story to have the Time Cube metatag.)

    --
    The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
  25. Frozen in time? by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    They figure that the universe is not speeding up but we are, in relation to the outer regions of space, slowing down. Tests ... will give more insight if we're going to end up frozen in time.

    Come on now, that's utterly ridicuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

  26. Re:Er... wha? by bckrispi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Blasphemer! Cheese be upon him!!

    --
    Xenon, where's my money? -Borno
  27. Re:Speed of light slowing down? by Trub68 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I searched a little and found a little more information about Alan on this web site http://www.ldolphin.org/cdkgal.html

  28. Re:Speed of light slowing down? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny