Scientists have found: black holes will live the longest in the universe - but they too will explode 0 9

How much longer will the universe exist is one of the most complex questions scientists are trying to answer. A new theoretical study seems to shed some light on this darkness, writes Earth.com.

Researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands) Geino Falcke, Michaël Von Drak, and Walter Van Suijlekom attempted to answer this question by combining theories of general relativity gravity and the behavior of quantum fields over extremely long time scales. The study suggests that not only black holes but also other super-dense objects, such as neutron stars and white dwarfs, are not eternal. According to the researchers' calculations, these cosmic bodies may slowly evaporate due to the effect of spacetime curvature and eventually explode.

The maximum lifespan of neutron stars was calculated by the researchers to be 10^{68} years - a number with 68 zeros, billions of times longer than the current age of the universe (13.8 billion years). White dwarfs will last even longer - up to 10^{78} years, while supermassive black holes will last as long as 10^{96} years. But the end will be dramatic: when an object becomes unstable, it will explode.

These discoveries could change the understanding of the fate of the most stable cosmic objects. Future observations, for example, with telescopes like James Webb, will help test the theory. For now, this is just a theory, but it serves as a reminder that even the strongest cosmic giants are not eternal.