Apart from the origin of the universe, different theories have also been proposed about the end of the world. The universe is not just made of this visible matter, but a form of mysterious matter called “dark matter” which constitutes almost 73% of the universe’s energy density. In the latest study published on the Arxiv server, scientists have stated that the force of this dark matter is so monstrous that it could soon stop the expansion of the universe, leading to a “long freeze,” slowly sending the cosmos into an eternal sleep.
The Milky Way. Elements of this image furnished by NASA (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Roberto Machado Noa)
When conditions are right, the universe will expand and expand before it freezes, and existence collapses. Based on previous studies, cosmologists know that the universe's expansion is accelerating continuously due to the influence of dark matter. But they still don't have an exact idea of what this dark matter is. In the findings of the research, scientists have proposed that this so-called “holographic dark matter” could make the universe stretch to a finite size, and then turn everything so cold that it would eventually cease to exist.
According to NASA Space News, the “holographic dark energy model” explains that dark energy is not just a force embedded into the fabric of the universe. It is the innate, phantom force that creates the concepts of time, space, and gravity, without which these concepts are mere illusions. The holographic model also states that the Earth that humans observe is just a hologram projected by a 2D structure, and the expansion of the universe could just be an array of processes unfolding inside this massive 2D object. Everything humans see or experience is an illusion, according to this theory.
As a result, the end of the universe was initially attributed to a process scientists called by names like “Big Freeze,” “Big Crunch,” “Big Rip,” or “Big Chill.” Explaining this process in a TED-Ed video, Venus Keus, from the University of Helsinki, said, “Imagine two objects representing galaxies with a short, tight rubber band holding them together – that’s gravity. Meanwhile, two hooks are pulling them apart – that’s dark energy – and it is expanding the universe.”
Design composed of nebula, stars and colors as a metaphor on the subject of astronomy, science, space and religion (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | AGSAndrew)
She elaborated that if someone copies this system over and over again, the outcome of the battle between these two forces of push and pull will determine how the universe will end. “The Big Freeze scenario is what will happen if the force pulling the objects apart is just strong enough to stretch the rubber band until it loses its elasticity.” If this happens, then stars would just die, galaxies would separate, and the subatomic particles would drift apart, resulting in a dark, cold, freezing, stagnant universe.
“We have demonstrated that, under very general assumptions, the HDE [Holographic dark energy] model can lead naturally to a long freeze, in which the scale factor asymptotically approaches a constant,” study authors concluded in the paper. Fundamentally, the crux of the study is that the universe is a big, ballooning bubble that will eventually pop and burst, which in cosmological terms, would be the last hush before the “Long Freeze,” and all consciousness would dissolve into a silent stillness.
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President Donald J. Trump and photo of a forest.
Public united and adamantly opposes Trump’s plan to roll back the Roadless Rule
There doesn't seem to be much agreement happening in the U.S. right now. Differing moral belief systems, economic disparity, and political divide have made a country with so many positives sometimes feel a little lost. Everyone desperately seeks a niche, a connection, or a strong sense of community to which they can feel a "part of," rather than just "apart."
But there seems to be one thing that the country strongly unites over, and that's the "Roadless Rule." With the Trump Administration attempting to roll back conservation policies that protect U.S. National Forests, Americans are saying in harmony an emphatic "No." A nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization, the Center for Western Priorities, reviewed a comment analysis on the subject. After receiving 223,862 submissions, a staggering 99 percent are opposed to the president's plan of repeal.
What is the 'Roadless Rule' policy implemented in 2001?
The Roadless Rule has a direct impact on nearly 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the rule prohibits road construction and timber harvests. Enacted in 2001, it is a conservation rule that protects some of the least developed portions of our forests. It's considered to be one of the most important conservation wins in U.S. history.
America's national forests and grasslands are diverse ecosystems, timeless landscapes, and living treasures. They sustain the country with clean water and the wood products necessary to build our communities. The National Parks protected under their umbrella offer incredible recreational retreats and outdoor adventure.
Why does the administration want to roll it back?
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins told the Department of Agriculture in a 2025 press release, “We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires." Rollins continued, “This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America. It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come. We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz explained the Roadless Rule frustrated land management and acts as a challenging barrier to action. It prohibits road construction needed to navigate wildfire suppression and properly maintain the forest. Schultz said, “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
Why are people adamantly opposed to the proposed rollback?
A 2025 article in Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, expressed its concern over the protection of national forests covering 36 states and Puerto Rico. A rescinded rule allows increased logging, extractive development, and oil and gas drilling in previously undisturbed backcountry. Here is what some community leaders had to say about it:
President Gloria Burns, Ketchikan Indian Community, said, "You cannot separate us from the land. We depend on Congress to update the outdated and predatory, antiquated laws that allow other countries and outside sources to extract our resource wealth. This is an attack on Tribes and our people who depend on the land to eat. The federal government must act and provide us the safeguards we need or leave our home roadless. We are not willing to risk the destruction of our homelands when no effort has been made to ensure our future is the one our ancestors envisioned for us. Without our lungs (the Tongass) we cannot breathe life into our future generations.”
Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, stated, "Roadbuilding damaged salmon streams in the past — with 240 miles of salmon habitat still blocked by failed road culverts. The Roadless Rule protects our fishing economy and more than 10,000 jobs provided by commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska.”
The Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager Alex Craven seemed quite upset, saying, "The Forest Service followed sound science, economic common sense, and overwhelming public support when they adopted such an important and visionary policy more than 20 years ago. Donald Trump is making it crystal clear he is willing to pollute our clean air and drinking water, destroy prized habitat for species, and even increase the risk of devastating wildfires, if it means padding the bottom lines of timber and mining companies.”
The 2025 recession proposal would apply to nearly 45 million acres of the national forests. With so many people writing in opposition to the consensus, the public has determined they don't want it to happen.
Tongass National Forest is at the center of the Trump administration's intention to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule. You can watch an Alaska Nature Documentary about the wild salmon of Tongass National Forrest here:
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The simple truth is we elect our public officials to make decisions. The hope is they do this for all of our well-being, although often it seems they do not. Even though we don't have much power to control what government officials do, voicing our opinions strongly enough often forces them to alter their present course of action. With a unanimous public voice saying, "No!" maybe this time they will course correct as the public wishes.