COOKING UP A COSMOS Will our descendants create a universe in a laboratory? YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MASTER CHEF TO MAKE meringue. Simply combine egg whites and sugar in a large bowl and beat vigorously until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spread in a pan and put in an oven preheated to 300 degrees F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and voile! Could it be just as easy to make a universe? Since the …showed first 75 words of 2137 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2137 total…exactly what "matter" means. The physicist defines "vacuum" as the state with the lowest possible density of energy. The false vacuum is not really a vacuum, but its energy density can be lowered only by a very slow process, called the decay of the false vacuum. So, while the false vacuum is waiting to decay, it behaves as if its energy density cannot be lowered -- as if it were a temporary vacuum. Word Count: 2159