Dr. Laughlin borrows the method geologist use to divide up past time or eras and uses this tool to divide up future time. Using a closed universe the speaker presented the fate of this type of universe. Our time is termed the Stelliferous era, or star-filled era. Written in cosmological decades this is 10 to the 6th to the 14th power. The Degenerate Era is from cosmological decades 10 to the 15th to 37th power.
Stars are extinguished.
Left behind are white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. At cosmological decade 38th the Black Hole era begins. At cosmological decade 10 to the 100th power the Dark Era begins as black holes have radiated away all mater and the universe consist of electrons, positrons, neutrinos and radiation. The long term fate of the Earth is determined by the fate of the Sun. Our Sun is currently on main sequence burning hydrogen in its core.