(PhysOrg.com) -- Suppose at some point the universe ceases to expand, and instead begins collapsing in on itself (as in the “Big Crunch” scenario), and eventually becomes a supermassive black hole.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American What do we really know about our universe?

In the 1920s, scientists discovered that the universe was not static in size, as had previously been assumed, but was expanding in all directions. Galaxies were rushing away from one another as the ...

The mysteries surrounding the origins of the universe have long intrigued scientists and philosophers alike. New research, published in the Living Reviews in Relativity, introduces an innovative ...

Investigations into the unknowns of space and time -- and abstract questions around early universe cosmology relating to the Big Bang, black holes and universe expansion -- are focal points of ongoing ...

The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe—a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our ...

I can accept the apparent violation of the light-speed-limit in the Big Bang theory by picturing there being no space at all before the BB. Before there was nothing, not even space. Then there was ...

Emma Chapman reviews Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins by Niayesh Afshordi and Phil Halper Before the bang That the universe evolved from a "hot Big Bang" is not in question, ...

The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

Our universe may have been born in a gravitational crunch that formed a very massive black hole—followed by a bounce inside it. The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe—a ...