Entropy
puzzles
What is entropy?
This is a measure of the irreversibility of processes. A measure of development over time. Measure of chaos
Source of useful entropy
The largest and most important source of useful energy for our planet is the Sun
Entropy and human
The task of mankind is to reduce entropy by concentrating useful energy
When chaos begins
When entropy reaches its maximum, chaos will ensue, and time will cease to exist
Solar photons
Solar photons are a low-entropy source
The Sun and entropy
The Sun has the lowest entropy in the solar system
Stephen Hawking
You may see a cup of tea fall off a table and break into pieces on the floor… But you will never see the cup gather itself back together and jump back on the table. The increase of disorder, or entropy, is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time
What is entropy?
Entropy is a mysterious physical quantity that reveals the secrets of disorder and order in the world around us. It is the key to understanding many natural processes, from molecules to star galaxies. It is primarily a function of time, explaining the irreversibility of processes
Energy irreversibility
Entropy refers to the measure of irreversibility of energy dissipation. Everyone knows the law of conservation of energy: energy is constant in a closed system. However, energy transforms from useful to useless forms. The lower the entropy, the more useful energy is concentrated in the system. For example, the useful energy of gasoline in a car is transferred to the energy of motion, and entropy increases
An example of entropy
Imagine a romantic country house in the forest. It’s winter, and the house is cold. For example, there is the useful energy of firewood. While the firewood is lying there, entropy is minimal. We put the firewood into the fireplace and light it. The beneficial energy of the firewood converts into heat. The firewood burns, entropy increases, and now we have a warm house. But over time, the house cools as it transfers energy to the walls, which heat the air outside. The house gradually cools, entropy continues to increase, and we end up with very little heated air around the house. The wind blows, the heated air dissolves into the coolness of the forest, and entropy reaches its maximum. We will never be able to reclaim the useful energy of the firewood. Only coal remains, and the forest is slightly, almost imperceptibly, heated
Law of conservation of energy
The law of conservation of energy also applies to our planet. The energy received from the Sun is equal to the energy that the Earth radiates into space. However, there is one very important difference:
From the Sun, the Earth receives high-energy photons with extremely low entropy, and it emits low-energy photons with much longer wavelengths and high entropy. The Earth emits 20 times more photons than it receives, but the total energy remains equal. Solar photons are very high in energy and useful!
Entropy and solar energy
Entropy is a function of energy distribution. The Sun provides concentrated energy with low entropy, a kind of food. Planet Earth recycles this energy, increasing entropy. Everything on Earth uses this low entropy energy and expends it
Water absorbs the most energy from the Sun. It heats up to support life in the ocean, stores energy at night, and slowly releases it to heat the air
Our goal is to reduce entropy
When we eat, we extract from the food what is most necessary for the body. It is the same with the Sun. Our planet and all living beings take energy from solar photons, using it to create and improve our lives. The Sun is an infinite source of energy and low entropy. Thanks to the Sun and ancient plants, the planet has accumulated oil. Thanks to the Sun and anaerobic bacteria, the Earth has accumulated oxygen. The biosphere is a supercomplex self-organizing structure powered by the low entropy of solar radiation
Life and entropy
All of humanity’s activities are about finding ways to reduce entropy and concentrate energy. People concentrate the energy of falling water into electricity in hydroelectric plants, thereby reducing entropy. They concentrate the dispersed energy of the earth by growing plants. We concentrate the energy of oil by refining it into gasoline. We concentrate the energy of iron by mining it and creating metal objects. We concentrate information by collecting it into encyclopedias and reference books. Yes, this is also entropy reduction! The examples are endless
Photons benefit
All living beings need something energy-intensive to create something. An apple can be a source of food, but a stone cannot, because energy is concentrated in an apple. Special accomplishments and deeds require special energy. Are there ways to concentrate solar photons? Of course! There are thousands of them
Chaos
When entropy reaches its maximum, chaos will ensue. Chaos occurs when no concentrated energy is left anywhere, everything in the universe is evenly distributed, and entropy is at its peak. Imagine that all particles have equal energy. In each collision, the particles will receive as much energy as they give. As a result, nothing will change, and time will effectively stop
question - answer
Do you have a Question?
Many people wonder what the meaning of life is. There is no unequivocal answer to this question. However, many answers converge on one idea: reducing entropy. By gaining knowledge and experience, improving in our professions, raising children, and comprehending the unknown, we reduce entropy and remove chaos from our lives
In the most direct way, by concentrating energy, we reduce entropy. We accumulate energy for breakthroughs in various areas of life
Certainly! Information entropy is a critical topic. Endless and meaningless cat videos increase entropy. Analyzing and concentrating information in the form of a helpful video or textbook reduces entropy
It is necessary to concentrate knowledge and energy. An aimless life leads to an increase in entropy and the approach of chaos. To reduce entropy, we need to use sources of low entropy, such as encyclopedias, universities, and the Sun
Time is a transition from less likely events to more likely events. When all probabilities are equal in the universe, entropy will reach its maximum, and chaos will ensue
It’s what’s known as “Groundhog Day.” If you do the same thing, you should not hope for a different or new result. For change, you need to make efforts, concentrate energy, and reduce entropy
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