The heat-death of the universe need not bring an end to the computing age. A strange device known as a time crystal can theoretically continue to work as a computer even after the universe cools.
I looked it up and found this article, which I don’t understand. Does the time crystal itself outlast the heat death, or does the ability to perform computations on the time crystal outlast the heat death?
(ie could a world simulated on a time crystal exist indefinitely without having to worry about entropy?)
I think it’s that the ability to perform computations would survive – but note that this is a speculation on top of a speculation. "Time crystals” may or may not be possible, and even if they are, the idea of computing with them is even more speculative. The original paper mentions as an brief off-hand note that it’s “interesting to speculate” about.
This is a more detailed and less hype-driven article about the idea, although it doesn’t mention the computation aspect at all.
Too late, this can produce literally infinite utility, I’ve already devoted my entire life to researching time crystals no matter how unlikely they may be.
