From: mk_thisisit
The concept of entropy is described as a fundamental force influencing the evolution and ultimate fate of the universe [06:35:00]. Brian Greene, a renowned physicist, discusses how entropy dictates processes at all levels, from molecules to living systems and the cosmos itself [05:57:00].
Understanding Entropy
Entropy is defined as a measure of the number of ways in which a given system can be arranged [05:36:00]. A system with more possible arrangements is more likely to arise [05:46:00]. Over time, entropy naturally increases at every level of existence [05:52:00].
Entropy and Physical Processes
Every physical process, with very few exceptions, results in an increase in entropy [05:22:00]. While the total amount of energy in a system can remain constant, energy degrades over time, becoming less useful and more disordered [18:26:00]. This degraded energy is what is meant by chaos or entropy [18:31:00].
Even seemingly order-creating actions, such as organizing a system with our brains and willpower, contribute to an overall increase in entropy. The heat and waste generated by our bodies during these processes add to the total entropy of the environment [06:15:00]. Human thoughts are considered physical processes that contribute to the increase of entropy [18:02:00].
Entropy vs. Evolution
Entropy represents a drive towards increasing chaos, while evolution, particularly through “molecular Darwinism,” signifies a drive towards more refined systems capable of greater replication efficiency [06:53:00]. These two forces appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, with entropy pulling towards disorder and evolution towards order [07:07:00]. Despite this apparent competition, in the grand cosmic development, entropy ultimately prevails [07:16:00].
The Ultimate Fate of the Universe
Mathematical equations describing the laws of the universe strongly suggest that every ordered system in the cosmos will eventually disintegrate [07:31:00]. This includes:
- Stars Stars will eventually exhaust their nuclear fuel, exploding or transforming into diffuse masses, losing their ordered structure that allows them to emit heat and light [07:48:00].
- Black holes Even black holes, as Stephen Hawking taught, slowly emit radiation over time, eventually dissolving into a “sea of particles” [08:04:00].
Therefore, every system that manifests order in a given cosmological era will eventually disintegrate, yielding a disordered end product [08:35:00].
Implications for Thought
In the distant future, as the temperature of the universe drops, it will reach a point where it can no longer absorb the entropy being generated [19:17:00]. When a thinking being attempts to have one more thought, it will “burn up in the entropic waste” created by the thought process itself [19:35:00]. This means that eventually, the possibility for thinking to occur will cease [19:43:00].