The 2nd Law Of Thermodynamics states that Entropy (aka disorder) always increases. It is chillingly true that all energy in the Universe will continue to be transformed in to less and less usable forms. For example, regardless of the insulation you use, your house must always radiate heat which cannot be recovered without expending energy. Any whole system must be <100% efficient. Which means, in the long run, ALL LIFE IS DEAD. With CERTAINTY. Conserving the environment (or any other conceivable action, for that matter), won't make one iota of difference, it'll just slow down the inevitable. In our future searches around the galaxy for energy sources, we will appear like frogs trying to leap between lillies which are drifting further apart. We will eventually fall. All life tries to organise matter (reduce Entropy aka disorder) to prolong its own life. Humans, for example, gather ordered matter such as food and water from external sources, to create order internally, in their bodies. Trees soak up water and sunlight.
The Entropy law dictates that if you expose bottled perfume to the air, it’ll eventually dissipate and the perfume will be evenly spread around the air. This transaction is non-reversible...you’d never expect the perfume to re-appear inside the bottle. And yet if you look at the low-level, everything that happens in the universe seems to be reversible. When a perfume spreads, all that’s happening is that particles are bumping off against each other, moving across the room. Again, and again. Every individual collision, we rightly believe to be reversible. But why then are macroscopic events like the dispersal of the perfume NOT reversible? What a mystery!
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Maths is the male counterpart of that tricky woman, philosophy
2 comments:
What a great argument for suicide. I'm mostly responding to "conserving the environment won't make one iota of difference." Yes we all die, big whoop. Humans will eventually die off even if we do everything in our power to stay alive. This would probably be in 100,000 years give or take some 10,000s. But what the crazy environmentalist would like to prevent is our demise in our lifetime or the next few lifetimes. It is not hopeless. We do not have to stand by and accept that human existence is to destroy all natural resources and pollute our air.
- Your friendly geologist from Texas, Mel
Mel! I miss the 16th floor of The Castilian Castle, and having you nearby! Although the 2nd law does doom us anyway, I appreciate your optimism, and the value you place on the future. And that facebook group Green Sex seems a good idea.
I hope you're having a great semester. I guess you're on spring break now, partying away. I haven't stopped, I'll have you know, although I'm being a nerd at home alone tonight. I'll be back one day to visit everyone in Austin. Stay there in the meantime, please :)
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