Scientists have long debated how the universe might end. A new theory, the “Big Crunch,” suggests that instead of expanding forever, the universe could one day reverse and collapse in on itself. This collapse would pull everything — galaxies, stars, and planets — back together in a cosmic implosion described as “cosmic hell.”

Researchers from Cornell and other institutions estimate this process could begin in about **11 billion years** and finish **8.5 billion years later**. Dr. Ethan Yu–Cheng explained it like a basketball: “Just as gravity pulls the ball back down, the universe’s expansion could eventually reverse.”

However, this would happen so slowly that humans wouldn’t notice until the very end. “No daily effects would be visible until the final moments,” said Dr. Hoang Nhan Luu.

Could humanity survive the Big Crunch? Possibly — but only if we leave the solar system. “We have a few billion years to prepare for that trip,” said lead researcher Henry Tye.

Though this prediction is far in the future, it offers a fascinating look at the powerful forces shaping our universe — and how it might all end.

**“The Big Crunch remains a distant possibility,”** the article concludes, **“but it reminds us how much we still don’t know about space and time.”**