Scientific Theories Which Threaten Human Existence

The Big Freeze

It may sound like a delicious new kind of Kwik-E-Mart Squishee, but the "Big Freeze" is in fact a less delicious theory of the end of the universe. A theory which proposes this: The universe has a fixed amount of energy in it, and as this energy runs out - which it is apparently doing at an exponential rate - the universe slows down. This process of slowing down is in turn causing a loss of heat, since heat is created by the movement of energy particles. Eventually the universe will stop moving altogether, heat will cease to be, and everything you ever know and love (and everything you hate, and feel indefferent about... because we're talking about the entire universe remember) will 'do a Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining' and freeze over.

False Vacuum

If you suffer from a nervous disposition, perhaps it's best to skip this one... A false vacuum is a theoretical region of space which is able to exist as a type of bubble, much like the kind of bubble you might find at the bottom of a slowly boiling pot of water. Some scientists believe that the universe as we know it is in fact one such false vacuum, a kind of temporary blip inside a much larger universe. And just as a bubble can burst at a moment's notice, so the entire universe as we know it can at any moment, just *pop*. Sleep well...

Brain in a Vat

Cited by the Wachowskis as a key reference point for their landmark sci fi The Matrix, this theory proposes that instead of the beautiful two-legged humanoid you see in the mirror each morning, you are in fact merely a brain in... well, a vat. The theory further posits that everything you believe to be real is in fact the result of your vat-brain's perception being manipulated into conjuring a false reality. Manipulated by who, or what, you may ask. Aliens? A Frankenstein-esque scientist? Nobody knows for sure, (but it's almost definitely something horrible, trust us).

Higher Dimensional Beings

Imagine that two-dimensional beings existed in the same world as us. If we so chose, we could go through life without allowing them to see us. They would have no idea that a higher dimensional being was in the space right behind them, capable of doing who-knows-what at a moment's notice. This theory looks at the possibility of four-dimensional beings existing in the exact same way. How do we know that we are alone, and not sharing our space with some unknown presence, the plaything of higher-dimensional alien creatures?

Roko's Basilisk

Now the following may sound pretty far out, and a bit ridiculous. Be warned however- a number of very esteemed scientists and techno-futurists believe this and are scared to death of it: Roko's Basilisk is a thought experiment which could threaten your existence just by knowing about it. It suggests the idea that an all-powerful, all-knowing form of AI exists in the future, and that this AI is able- and inclined- to travel back through time to punish and torture every person who didn't help it come into existence sooner. Merely being aware of the possibility that this AI could exists and not immediately scrambling to do its bidding drastically increases the chance of you singling yourself out for future torture at the hands of this being. First conceived of on a LessWrong internet forum by user Roko, site moderator Eliezer Yudkowsky- a respected writer and advocate for 'friendly artificial intelligence'- quickly removed the post when a number of contributors began suffering nightmares as a result of reading. But Yudkowsky was too late- the theory is out there, a twisted real-life version of the video in The Ring, potentially sentencing all who read it to death. For a more detailed explanation of this scary theory, click here. Now the following may sound pretty far out, and a bit ridiculous. Be warned however- a number of very esteemed scientists and techno-futurists believe this and are scared to death of it: Roko's Basilisk is a thought experiment which could threaten your existence just by knowing about it. It suggests the idea that an all-powerful, all-knowing form of AI exists in the future, and that this AI is able- and inclined- to travel back through time to punish and torture every person who didn't help it come into existence sooner. Merely being aware of the possibility that this AI could exists and not immediately scrambling to do its bidding drastically increases the chance of you singling yourself out for future torture at the hands of this being. First conceived of on a LessWrong internet forum by user Roko, site moderator Eliezer Yudkowsky- a respected writer and advocate for 'friendly artificial intelligence'- quickly removed the post when a number of contributors began suffering nightmares as a result of reading. But Yudkowsky was too late- the theory is out there, a twisted real-life version of the video in The Ring, potentially sentencing all who read it to death. For a more detailed explanation of this scary theory, click here.