How brian cox revealed world could end 'at any moment'

Physicists have come up with a number of theories to explain the way the universe could end, including the Big Rip, a Heat Death and the Big Crunch, but now, there is another to add to the

list – vacuum decay. The Higgs field of energy that permeates our universe varies in strength based on its potential, which is either in one of two states – a true vacuum, or a false vacuum.

A true vacuum is the stable, lowest-energy state, while a false vacuum suggests the universe is somewhat, but not entirely, stable – known to scientists as “metastable”. The problem is a

universe that is sitting in the false vacuum could, via random quantum fluctuations, suddenly find part of itself swallowed by another true vacuum universe, spelling disaster. Professor

Brian Cox explained in his two-part film, “Life of a Universe” how this could apply to life on Earth. He said in 2017: “What if inflation doesn’t stop all at once, but just in patches? Our

Big Bang would just be a little event in an ever-inflating space. “There would be other patches stopping and starting and you get another universe and that process could go on forever. “So

although our universe dies, other universes are constantly being created. “This is called the inflationary multiverse.” Professor Cox explained how an experiment in 2012 suggested that the

universe may be in a false vacuum. He added: “Physicists refer to each different possibility as a different vacuum. “This opens up the chance that we could be instantly annihilated. READ

MORE: 'THINGS CAN ONLY GET WORSE!' BRIAN COX'S DAUNTING CLAIM AFTER UNIVERSE DISCOVERY REVEALED But, Professor Cox confirmed it would be a long way in the future before

something like this happened. He added: “The time-scale for vacuum decay is many times the age of our universe, so it’s not going to happen tomorrow, but it’s still disconcerting to think

that our universe isn’t the stable, eternal home we once believed it to be. “You might think, quantum mechanics, could it save us? Could there be a little fluctuation that allows something

to happen and re-boot part or all of the universe? “You never know, but probably not. “Whether it’s vacuum decay, the Big Rip, or a sad, slow heat death, now is the time to explore our

universe, while it’s still visible to us.”