Interesting video that puts the time of the universe in perspective. I didn't know that a T-Rex is closer to seeing a Miley Cyrus concert than a T-Rex was to seeing a live stegosouris.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkV6IpV2Y0

Interesting.

Seeing Miley Cyrus in concert certainly would have caused T-Rex to want extinction...

I, for one, would hold out for the live stegosaurus. Nice presentation- thanks for the post.

This is one I've always enjoyed>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YrHl7X7cOE
JMN

Nice video, Slide. Although the frustrated cosmologist in me can't help but point out that the "Heat Death" scenario is only one of a few of the potential end-of-universe scenarios. Another scenario is called "the Big Crunch," in which gravity is the force that ultimately overcomes everything else: at some point in the future, the universe starts to contract. The contraction continues until the universe collapses back in on itself, kind of a Reverse Big Bang. (Or, there's a cousin theory called the Big Bounce that follows the same story, except with a little tweak that gravitational force actually is repulsive at super low distance scales. So after the universe collapses enough, the repulsive force kicks in and we get a new Big Bang.)

The other main end-of-universe scenario is called the Big Rip. In the Big Rip, the universe's expansion is the dominant force. The universe continues to accelerate more and more, until eventually areas of the universe are causally disconnected from each other. ("Causally disconnected," meaning that it would require faster-than-light travel to reach one area from another). Eventually, these causally disconnected regions become finer and finer. At some point, distant stars start to disappear. Then galaxies. Then all the stars in the sky vanish. Then we can't see the sun any more. Eventually, molecules physically become impossible, because each atom is causally disconnected from every other atom. Then even atoms get ripped apart. And it continues down to the smallest scales.

To be sure, we don't currently know enough about the universe to tell what scenario (if any) is correct. (Although, the Big Crunch / Big Bounce scenarios are currently thought to be unlikely, based on current observations. At least, barring some theoretical revelation in our understanding of gravity.) So I wish the video would have at least acknowledged that Heat Death is only one possible scenario. But otherwise, excellent video.

How can gravity overcome everything else when it is so much weaker than the 3 other natural forces?

Persistence?

Two things. First, there's no gravitational "charge," which means everything is only gravitationally attracted to everything else. That's in contrast with the other known forces, which are sometimes attractive and sometimes repulsive. Second (and perhaps relatedly), gravity is significant even over very long ranges.

So the total gravitational force in the universe is a bit like the total destructive force of an ant colony: the contribution of any single ant (or any single bit of matter) is insignificant, but its coordination makes the total effect significant.

Which is to just say what Tommy said: persistence.

I've always had a feeling that time speeds up when nobody is watching.

Sort of like that tree making no sound when falling in the forest.

Tom

Time speeds up when you're having fun for sure.

It's certainly doing a number on me.

Hey, where is King Kong? I remember him killing a T-Rex (or was it?) and then wiggling its broken jaw to make sure it wss dead. Lynn