Physicists Simulated a Quantum Process That Could End the Universe

Tsinghua University researchers used a ring of Rydberg atoms to simulate false vacuum decay.

The setup modeled a theoretical transition where a lower-energy vacuum bubble could expand and replace its surroundings.

The study provides a lab-based way to probe physics at the intersection of quantum mechanics and relativity.

It may help scientists better understand vacuum metastability and the stability of the universe’s vacuum state.