Icy Cold

As some of you know I have been dabbling in Physics and writing papers related to those studies – particularly regarding the assumption that the expansion of the universe was getting ever-slower, meaning that in billions of years it would resemble today’s universe in many important ways. I had, of course, understood that galaxies that are 3 million light years away from Earth move at a speed of around 44 miles per second (70 kilometers per second). Galaxies that are 6 million light years away move twice as fast.

Now my understanding will be forever enhanced and changed because three of my colleagues, Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess “found that the light from more than 50 distant exploding stars was far weaker than they expected, meaning that galaxies had to be racing away from each other at increasing speed.”

“For almost a century the universe has been known to be expanding as a consequence of the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago, however the discovery that this expansion is accelerating is astounding. If the expansion will continue to speed up the universe will end in ice.” (Associated Press) [italics mine]

Now we can finally move away from that scary passage in 1 Peter 3:10ff – But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day, the Heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the Earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear, what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming day of God, because of which the Heavens will be on fire and dissolved, and he elements will melt with the heat. But based on His promise, we wait for new Heavens and a new Earth, where righteousness will dwell.

Yeah, I know – you just gotta’ pick one.