Nothing lasts forever. Even the universe has several possible endings. Will there be a dramatic Big Rip or a Big Chill­–also known as the heat death of the universe–in trillions of years? Or will vacuum decay, which could theoretically happen at any moment, do us in? Perhaps the death of a tiny particle – the proton – will bring about the end.We contemplate big picture endings in this episode, and whether one could be brought about by our own machine creations. Guests: Anders Sandberg – Researcher atthe Future of Humanity Institute at the University of OxfordKatie Mack – Assistant professor of physics at North Carolina StateUniversity, and the author of “The End of Everything, AstrophysicallySpeaking.”Brian Greene – Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics atColumbia, and author of “Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and OurSearch for Meaning in an Evolving Universe”Originally aired May 3, 2021Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun MiyakeBig Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices