Updated July 26, 2022 16.2K votes 3.8K voters 275.9K views
Over 3.8K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 13 Theories About the Universe That Will Keep You Up at Night
Voting Rules
Vote up the theories you wish science hadn't even come up with.
Though we live in the universe, there's still a heck of a lot we don't know about it. Even with that limited information, there are dozens of scientific theories about space and time to explain away the greatest mysteries of our intergalactic neighborhood. Not all of them are pleasant, though. Some of them are downright terrifying, and even more highlight just how alone we are out in this void we call space.
We know what you're thinking: they're just theories, why should I be creeped out? Well, these scientific theories about the universe have been devised by some of the greatest minds in the fields of cosmology and physics. These guys have a pretty good idea what they're talking about... and what they're talking about ain't pretty. So sit back and prepare to stare into the void.Â
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1,824 VOTES
The First Thing Aliens Will See From Humanity Is Hitler
Carl Sagan was a visionary man, gracing the world with his intelligence and imagination. In his book Contact, he theorized that the first thing aliens would see of us was Hitler. Turns out that the first signal broadcast powerful enough to break past Earth's atmosphere was Hitler's opening speech at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, so there's a good chance that's the first communication aliens would pick up.
1,824 votes
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1,359 VOTES
Here's What Happens When You Fall Into A Black Hole
Black holes are pretty freaky things. The closer you get to the center, the more space and time become completely meaningless. It's been theorized you would be hanging in nothingness for all eternity or shredded apart into the smallest possible pieces. Either way, it's pretty certain you it won't go as well for you as it did for Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar.
1,359 votes
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1,796 VOTES
Venus Is What Earth Will Become Due To Climate Change
Earth and Venus have been called "twins separated at birth." They have very similar size, mass, and composition... only one sustains life and the other is a galactic wasteland. The reason for that is Venus' atmosphere mostly consists of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, which has cooked the surface of the planet to 870 degrees Fahrenheit. As we're sure you know, people are pretty concerned about the level of carbon dioxide going up on Earth too.
While some scientists believe the expansion of the universe is accelerating, some theorize that distant celestial bodies only seem that way because we're looking back in time to see them (remember, it takes a while for their light to reach us). So, that means that they were moving faster in the past than they are in now... which means time is slowing down.
How much is it slowing down? We don't know - but if the theory is correct it may just slow to a stop.
The Matrix may be real, according to Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrum. He suggested that an advanced civilization, with enough computer power, could run a simulation elaborate enough to create artificial minds, physics, and everything else in our universe. Right now, you might just be a really complex set of 1s and 0s.
Everyone knows about black holes, but apparently their opposites exist. Unlike their darker cousins, white holes cannot be entered, but matter and light are constantly escaping from them. The real creepy part is, where is all this stuff coming from? Could it be the exit of a black hole?
