Mmastodon TechnologyTechnology first seen 3 d ago, last 56 min ago, peak #1
False vacuum decay: could the Universe end without warning?
Original: Could false vacuum decay end the Universe without warning? If the Higgs field is metastable, quantum tunneling could in
Physicists are revisiting the idea that the Higgs field may be metastable, meaning the Universe could in principle sit in a false vacuum. Quantum tunneling could spawn a bubble of lower-energy vacuum expanding at near light speed, destroying everything instantly and without warning. Scientists stress this is serious theoretical physics grounded in current measurements of the Higgs boson, not a prediction of imminent doom, and the discussion is drawing attention to how unsettling yet fascinating the scenario is.
Why now: The unsettling idea that the cosmos could end spontaneously, based on real Higgs field physics, is capturing scientific and public curiosity.
Higgs fieldHiggs bosonfalse vacuum decayUniverse
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