Comments on: The End of the Universe is Neigh!

Question: The End of the Universe is Neigh!

dmd — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 07:56:50 -0800

What would be the correct equation(s) to draw on a sandwich board to be worn that prophesies doom, gloom, and the heat death of the universe?

By: pla

pla — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:07:31 -0800

ΔS_Universe > 0

By: supercres

supercres — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:11:31 -0800

dS/dt > 0 or

lim(S) = inf
t->inf

Not positive about that second one (the limit might approach a finite value), but limits always seemed much more apocalyptic to me.

By: griphus

griphus — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:14:01 -0800

Any of the myriad variations of the Anti-Life Equation

Also, just to make sure your signage is spelled right, it's "nigh" not "neigh." Unless you're working on some sort of Four Horsemen pun, in which case, good job.

By: RichardP

RichardP — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 08:31:09 -0800

Ω_Λ = 0.728 ^[1]

By: flug

flug — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 09:42:16 -0800

The Clausius Theorem would be pretty good--basically it's the equation version of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

If you want to be more definitive in your prophecy of heat death, use the strict inequality version of the Theorem, which applies to irreversible processes (ie, use < rather than <=).