"Physicists are still divided about the fate of the Universe. Some say it will keep expanding forever, whereas others believe that at some point in the future it will begin to contract and ultimately collapse in a big crunch. 'All bets are off in terms of predicting the fate of the Universe,' says Caldwell, who has previously suggested that the Universe could ultimately end in a 'big rip' as it expands into infinity."
Either way makes the universe seem tantalizingly organic. The "big rip" scenario makes the cosmos seem like some vast living entity engaged in a literally endless quest to expand its domain -- shades of the alien "blob" battled by Steve McQueen. The "big crunch" is more earthy and accessible, in tune with the flux of seasons and the life cycles of more immediately comprehensible creatures -- and a little more along the lines of "The Incredible Shrinking Man."
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