Brian Cox says the universe will end in the eternal darkness of ‘heat death’ when all the stars burn out to leave a bleak, featureless void

THE universe is doomed to end up a barren, dark and empty void with no stars to light up the gloom.

That's the prediction from Professor Brian Cox, who told The Sun Online that the universe will end its days in a grim process called "heat death".

Brian and Professor Jeff Forshaw, professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Manchester, have just published a book called , which tells the story of everything from the Big Bang onwards.

We asked him about the theory of "heat death", which suggests that in billions of years, all the stars in the universe will burn out or turn into black holes which will eventually eat each other up.

The supermassive black holes left after this feeding frenzy will then evaporate, leaving a barren void of eternal nothingness.

This theory about the grim fate of our universe hinges around the "theory of inflation", which suggests the universe will continue growing and growing rather than eventually collapsing in on itself in a cataclysmic "Big Crunch".

"The universe will probably end in heat death," said Professor Cox, who is a professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester and also works at CERN.

"We have seen through experimental observation that its expansion rate is increasing.

"If that continues, there will ultimately be no structures left."

However, while you might think this sounds pretty depressing, Professor Cox was remarkably chipper about the prospect of reality ending up as a featureless void.

"It's true we are physically insignificant in the universe, as a civilisation and as humans," he continued.

"But I don't think that subtracts one jot from the wonder of our existence.

"You know you're going to die, but does that mean your life is pointless?"

Professor Jeff Forshaw agreed that the grim fate awaiting the universe does not detract from the wonder of existence.

"We're just grateful to be here and have the opportunity to explore this truly remarkable universe with trillions of galaxies," he said.

"Just think of a universe with one atom - nothing else.

"That is mind blowing enough.

"Then try getting your head around the universe we live in and you will realise it is just a privilege to be here.

"People say science is bleak, but that thought is blown away by the joy of exploring a universe which is beyond imagination."

But don't worry: heat death is a long, long, long away away.

Physicists estimate it will happen in about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years.

By the time the disaster takes place, the sun will have already swelled to 100 times its current size, burning humanity to a crisp if we somehow miraculously manage to survive for another five billion years.

After this our home galaxy, the Milky Way, will collide with the galaxy Andromeda.

By then, Planet Earth may have been "plundered, conquered and colonised" by "marauding" aliens, if Professor Stephen Hawking's fears turn out to be correct.

So there's plenty to be nervous about before you start fretting about heat death.

Sweet dreams everyone.