Twilight of the universe

Telegraph (UK) ^ | 8/8/03 | Roger Highfield

[LibWhacker]

The future of the universe is dim - astronomers say it is fading into darkness after studying 40,000 galaxies in the neighbourhood of the Milky Way.

The "fossil record" concealed in their starlight was used to build up a detailed account of how many young, recently formed stars there were at different periods in the 14-billion-year-old cosmos.

There have not been enough new stars turning on to replace all the old stars that die and switch off, says the study by Ben Panter and Prof Alan Heavens from Edinburgh University's Institute for Astronomy, and Prof Raul Jimenez of the University of Pennsylvania.

The findings will be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"The age of star formation is drawing to a close," said Prof Heavens. "The number of new stars being formed in the galaxies we studied has been in decline for six billion years - roughly since the time our Sun came into being."

[duckman]

"The future of the universe is dim - astronomers say it is fading into darkness..."
Does this mean I should cancel my dental appointment for tomorrow?

[Arkinsaw]

Buy stock in Cyalume Light Sticks! The stock price is guaranteed to go up when this happens.

[Brett66]

Reservations for two please:

[Argus]

We are toast.

[RightWhale]

Right, it will all fade to black. Unless somebody does something about it.

Who?

Don't everybody raise your hand at once. Must conserve energy so it lasts 16 billion years instead of 15.9 billion years.

[GreenHornet]

Don't be surprised if Algore blames Bush for this.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[Phsstpok]

I'm sorry, the Mice got the last table. Please wait until after the Disaster Area concert and there will probably be an opening. Oh, and there's a robot named Marvin who wants to talk to you about 4 billion years of back pay. You left him waiting on Magrathea, you know.

[MaryFromMichigan]

When the end of the world arrives how will the media report it?

USA Today: WE'RE DEAD

The Wall Street Journal: DOW JONES PLUMMETS AS WORLD ENDS

National Enquirer: O.J. AND NICOLE, TOGETHER AGAIN

Playboy: GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE

Microsoft Systems Journal: APPLE LOSES MARKET SHARE

Victoria's Secret Catalog: OUR FINAL SALE

Sports Illustrated: GAME OVER

Wired: THE LAST NEW THING

Rolling Stone: THE GRATEFUL DEAD REUNION TOUR

Readers Digest: 'BYE

Discover Magazine: HOW WILL THE EXTINCTION OF ALL LIFE AS WE KNOW IT AFFECT THE WAY WE VIEW THE COSMOS?

TV Guide: DEATH AND DAMNATION: NIELSON RATINGS SOAR!

Lady's Home Journal: LOSE 10 LBS BY JUDGEMENT DAY WITH OUR NEW "ARMAGEDDON" DIET!

America Online: SYSTEM TEMPORARILY DOWN. TRY CALLING BACK IN 15 MINUTES.

Inc. magazine: TEN WAYS YOU CAN PROFIT FROM THE APOCALYPSE

Microsoft's Web Site: IF YOU DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THE RAPTURE, DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE PATCH RAPT777.EXE.

Sun: ARMAGEDDON TOLERANT SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE!

[Arkinsaw]

New York Times - Daschle Deeply Saddened
Washington Post - Apocalypse Traced to 20th Century Bush Administration
BBC - Apocalypse to Be Worse Than Expected: US Involvement

[onedoug]

"The starry sky above me, the moral law within me...."

[muir_redwoods]

New York Times: Universe to end, minorities and women most effected

[B-Chan]

The Village Voice
GAY BISHOP PRAISES “PETERING OUT” OF UNIVERSE

The New York Times
HEAT DEATH OF UNIVERSE ANTICIPATED
Women, Minorities To Be Hardest Hit

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