End of the Universe as we know it?

The article "Is the evidence for 'alien' universes all around us?" (New Scientist) discusses the possibility that the cosmic microwave background (CMB) left over from the big bang shows evidence that our universe must have collided with others during it's initial period of space-time inflation.

As intriguing as that sounds, it raises yet another issue that just might be of more importance. Apparently, this would mean that there is yet another way for our Universe to end--without warning, and with no known way to prevent it. If you were thinking that the Big Crunch or the Heat Death of the Universe were the only two options, think again:

If universes really are crashing into us willy-nilly, should we be worrying about a fatal collision? "It's true, there is always a chance we will be hit by a lethal bubble, which would come without warning," says Vilenkin. "But since we'll just evaporate in an instant and there's nothing we can do to stop it, there's really no use in worrying."

Life is a major cause of death.

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