X-Message-Number: 15315
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 21:41:20 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Re: "Universe not Infinite"

Jan Coetzee, Message #15308, quotes a source saying:
> 
>'Universe not infinite'
>   
>Tokyo - Tokyo University scientists have developed an experiment designed
to prove that the universe will eventually cease to exist by showing that
protons - the elemental building blocks of all matter - decay, a report said
on Tuesday. 
>
I'm not a world-class expert, but it's my understanding that proton decay
would not preclude an infinite amount of information processing and,
effectively, eternal life or, if you will, an infinite universe. There are
some references cited in my book on this.
...
> The facility is estimated to cost 40 billion yen (344.8 million dollars)
and >researchers hope to start actual observations in 10 years. 
>
It's interesting how much is being spent on this kind of thing versus, say,
follow-ups of Suda's work on reviving cat brains after below-freezing
storage (zero as far as I know). I don't advocate abandonment of studies of
the universe and its properties, but certainly much more should be spent on
how to make ourselves immortal. It probably won't be, however, until there
is more evidence of the feasibility of immortalization, such as
breakthroughs against aging or in the area of reversible cryopreservation.

Mike Perry

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