About this episode

Dr. Katie Mack joins Michael L. Wong to discuss various scenarios for the end of the universe.

Guest: Dr. Katie Mack Cosmologist Katie Mack beams aboard to discuss how the universe will end. Using the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Chrysalis" as a launchpad, Katie and Mike go through various scenarios for the fate of everything: Will there be a "big crunch," a "big rip," or will it all simmer away into "heat death"? And is there anything we can do about it? "The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)" by Katie Mack: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-End-of-Everything/Katie-Mack/9781982103552 Follow us on Bluesky! Mike: https://bsky.app/profile/miquai.bsky.social Katie: https://bsky.app/profile/astrokatie.com

People in this episode

Host: Michael L. Wong

Guest: Dr. Katie Mack

Topics covered

• universe
• cosmology
• end of the universe
• Star Trek
• astrophysics
• fate of everything

Keywords

• universe end
• big crunch
• big rip
• heat death
• cosmology
• Star Trek
• Deep Space Nine

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Simon & Schuster

Books & works: The End of Everything, Chrysalis

More episodes of Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast

• Episode 199: Cosplay for Science · May 10, 2026 · 52 min
• Episode 196: The Antifascist Star Trek Watch List · March 8, 2026 · 55 min
• Episode 195: Time's Second Arrow · January 28, 2026 · 49 min
• Episode 194: The Giant Leap · January 23, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Episode 193: The Linguistics of "Darmok" · January 18, 2026 · 52 min
• Episode 192: Whispers of Life in Ancient Rocks · November 17, 2025 · 30 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast podcast page.