4 ms·

Is entropy real, or is it a purely intellectual tool of thought?

• MrMcCall 2y ago
  With the CMBR being so low-temp (4K IIRC), combined with the vast distances of empty space (I know it's not really empty, but practically so), the tendency over time is that temperature will settle down to lower and lower energy states, as energy radiates outward. (Because no energy is being added to the system.) Order requires energy -- i.e. our highly thermodynamic body processes -- so as the temp lowers, disorder will tend to decrease. Maybe a physicist can correct me, but that seems like a simple yet accurate system-wide summation. Of course, local areas (such as Earth) can retain enough heat for a span of time to maintain complexly organized systems, but in the universe's time scale, it's going to keep winding down towards that CMBR, where ever little complexity will be possible.
  • zmgsabst 2y ago
    But steam has higher entropy than water has higher entropy than ice. I’m not sure I follow your description: as the universe empties, aren’t we at some point left with less and less happening per cubic meter?
    • MrMcCall 2y ago
      You're right. I inverted entropy's direction as temps decrease, forgetting that its positively correlated. Thanks for correcting me.