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I have a ~77 year old friend who was recently telling me about going to Buckminster Fuller's lectures at his engineering university, circa 1968. He quoted Mr. F

I have a ~77 year old friend who was recently telling me about going to Buckminster Fuller's lectures at his engineering university, circa 1968. He quoted Mr. Fuller as saying something like, "entropy takes things apart, life puts them back together." The quote he referenced was probably something like this one: “The physical is inherently entropic, giving off energy in ever more disorderly ways. The metaphysical is antientropic, methodically marshalling energy. Life is antientropic. It is spontaneously inquisitive. It sorts out and endeavors to understand” - https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1222650-the-physical-is-inherently-entropic-giving-off-energy-in-ever https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1222650-the-physical-is-inh... Many people are so sure of their belief in entropy (aka "thermodynamics"). I like the idea that there's anti-entropy too.

Arbalest 7y ago
Life reverses entropy only locally, it still needs to "spend" entropy to do so. In this way, life is an efficient entropy accelerating machine, and we're the pinnacle.
- sword_smith 7y ago
  You are both correct :)
- amelius 7y ago
  Could you use this principle to detect any kind of life?
  - Arbalest 7y ago
    That's actually a really good question. It does make me question the hypothesis, which is essentially, is the entropy any different to a lifeless planet just re-radiating solar energy. The answer is probably, not in the long term. You may be able to use the principle to determine what stage intelligent life is in though? If we were talking plants only, the re-emitted radiation would be expected to be reduced, as it is bound up in the growth. But our species is now expending that, so at this moment, solar re-radiation we would expect to be above lifeless levels.
- jacquesm 7y ago
  > we're the pinnacle I sincerely hope that you are wrong, I fear that you may be right.
valesco 7y ago
Doesn't gravity also add entropy? Just wondering, because think of the formation of planets from pebbles...

Arbalest 7y ago

Life reverses entropy only locally, it still needs to "spend" entropy to do so. In this way, life is an efficient entropy accelerating machine, and we're the pinnacle.

sword_smith 7y ago
You are both correct :)
amelius 7y ago
Could you use this principle to detect any kind of life?
- Arbalest 7y ago
  That's actually a really good question. It does make me question the hypothesis, which is essentially, is the entropy any different to a lifeless planet just re-radiating solar energy. The answer is probably, not in the long term. You may be able to use the principle to determine what stage intelligent life is in though? If we were talking plants only, the re-emitted radiation would be expected to be reduced, as it is bound up in the growth. But our species is now expending that, so at this moment, solar re-radiation we would expect to be above lifeless levels.
jacquesm 7y ago
> we're the pinnacle I sincerely hope that you are wrong, I fear that you may be right.

valesco 7y ago

Doesn't gravity also add entropy? Just wondering, because think of the formation of planets from pebbles...