re: Bogus physics
"It will all end up as a thin, tenouous gas expanding into nothingness.
That is the future of the universe, what makes us so special that we're going to be able to cheat out fate? "
Even if the above is true, it's describing the macro universe, it should be possible for a sentient creatures to exist for 100s of billions of year beyond a universe which reaches "tenouous gas expanding into nothingness". If you want trillions to tens of trillions of years that might not be doable- but do want to live forever?
Meanwhile let's make to the first billion years, shall we? Then we can reassess.