Katie Mack: ‘Knowing how the universe will end is freeing’

Terms like "heat death", "big rip" and "vacuum decay" don't sound all that inviting. And they aren't.

They describe a few of the theories scientists have about how our universe will one day die.

But when cosmologist Katie Mack thinks about the end of everything, it gives her peace.

“There’s something about acknowledging the impermanence of existence that is just a little bit freeing,” she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

I’d be willing to bet there aren’t many people who feel that way – but even for Katie, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds.

Katie can still remember vividly when she…