> Life on planets taps into the flow of sunlight from the star (and/or the flow of heat and chemical energy from the a hot planetary core) to generate complex s

> Life on planets taps into the flow of sunlight from the star (and/or the flow of heat and chemical energy from the a hot planetary core) to generate complex structures in defiance of the regular direction of entropy It doesn't defy the direction of entropy. Frankly, I'm not sure why you have that notion? Entropy is a measure of system's state of equilibrium. Moving energy from a concentrated source, and distributing it more equally (across life forms and other complex structures), is following the direction of entropy, as is it makes energy more equalized, in contrast to the former state where energy levels are more unequal between highly concentrated areas (like stars, the Big Bang), and areas with less energy.