The death of the universe AINSLEY DREW · OCT 09 2009 As black
holes evaporate, they release Hawking radiation. Named after the
legendary Stephen, who first argued for its existence in 1974,
Hawking radiation emitted is measured by the mass, angular
momentum, and charge of the black hole. Hawking radiation has
been predicted to be part of the eventual catalyst for the heat
death of the universe, and recent findings suggest that it's
possibly closer than astronomers originally calculated. Don't
max out your credit cards or adopt a Twinkie diet just yet.
Scientists believe that it takes roughly 10^102 years for a
supermassive black hole to evaporate, and chances are that
global warming, war, or Twinkies will have done in humanity long
before then.