Add this feature to minecraft, so if you wait too long, everything is just iron.
If proton decay isn't true
Submitted 2 months ago by Friendlybirdseggs@sopuli.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://sopuli.xyz/pictrs/image/bc337135-3763-4e4a-9247-73ce51030ada.webp
Comments
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 months ago
Friendlybirdseggs@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
YES
SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
Next up: ProtonDecayOrBust
Hupf@feddit.org 2 months ago
You’re saying bedrock eventually becomes breakable?
credo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Taalnazi@lemmy.world 2 months ago
For some extra existential crisis, consider this.
In 1x10^10^56 years, a new big bang could occur in the universe, through quantum tunneling.
If you multiply that with all possible ways in which all subatomic particles in the observable universe could be arranged (1x^10^115), that might be a possible timeframe for a new universe exactly like ours.
That is, a universe in where you posted that comment, and I’m writing this right now. Maybe we’re doing that a few seconds differently, but overall it’s the same universe.
sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I didn’t understand this one. Why would any matter eventually turn into iron?
ImWaitingForRetcons@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Elements with a proton number less than or greater than iron become more stable as they approach iron, and so, over very, very long timeframes, from random quantum tunnelling effects, will favour being iron over being other elements.
Thus, in 10^~1500 years, virtually all atoms in the universe will turn into iron, assuming protons don’t decay (which may or may not happen).
DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
So all males do eventually become FeMales? I knew it…
KTJ_microbes@mander.xyz 2 months ago
Okay. I need a physicist. How does that relate to the heat death of the universe. Is all iron-56 the most probable distribution of energy in the universe (max entropy)?
Droggelbecher@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not a physicist yet, temporarily a high school physics and maths teacher until I can start my PhD
Fe-56 is the heaviest nucleus that releases energy when other nuclei fuse into it. Everything heavier requires energy, that has to come from somewhere else, to fuse. All things tend to keep doing stuff that release energy, and they don’t like to do stuff that requires energy. So, in a long enough amount of time, nuclei keep fusing together while it releases energy, and stop when it starts to require energy.
This pretty much only takes nuclear physics into account though, whereas the actual universe is a lot more complicated and will thus probably not turn itself into all iron.
Zink@programming.dev 2 months ago
Not a physicist, but I thought the heat death of the universe also involved all the matter being sucked into black holes and turned into pure energy. There’s a big chunk converted up front in the accretion disk, then the rest is converted into hawking radiation as the black hole(s) evaporate over the oodles and oodles of years.
Whether or not there are also lumps of iron-56 or other matter floating around in the cold void probably depends on the real truth behind dark matter and dark energy and their long-term behavior.
Legianus@programming.dev 2 months ago
Astronomer here, not necessarily. Generally, heat death just means entropy goes maximal, as in everything is as spread out as it can be and the heat everywhere in the universe is the same.
Not sure if on those time scales all gets sucked up by BH
Gladaed@feddit.org 2 months ago
Least Energy. I.e. yes. Does be pretty good.
KTJ_microbes@mander.xyz 2 months ago
This is an important question with real-life implications.
stupidcasey@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Please help I tried this experiment but my eyes turned to Iron how can I see inside the box?
Dicska@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You don’t need to, I can tell you what’s inside.
Iron.
confluence@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Step 1: kill the cat in the box Step 2: make sure the cat isn’t still alive when you’re not looking
Ironfacebuster@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This post really resonates with me
ChaoticNeutralCzech@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
10^-3^ years have passed since you made this post! Only 1503 orders of magnitude to go!
Friendlybirdseggs@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
On the grind
Usernamealreadyinuse@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Thanks, that is indeed a long time
Image
MidsizedSedan@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Only Buzz Lightyear will get to see it :(
Zorque@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Gotta change it to scientific Image
Usernamealreadyinuse@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yeah i got this first, thanks! But it didn’t give any meaning in size, after I saw “infinite” I knew more or less how long I should wait