A word that most people don’t know is the most important. Entropy.

There is a word which almost nobody uses because they’ve never heard it used, but it is in my opinion the most important word in the English language. And when translated I believe it is the most important word in other languages. That word is “entropy“. I am sure that it doesn’t mean a thing to most people and it didn’t to me until I watched the video by Brian Cox which got me very interested. See the video at the end of this article.

Nowadays, being 75 years of age, my whole life is geared up to maintenance more so than ever before. I have to maintain:

1. myself
2. my cat
3. my home
4. my car
5. my backyard
6. this website and other websites.

My whole life is about maintenance because everything around me including myself is gradually deteriorating. It’s gradually falling to bits. If we don’t maintain objects including living creatures like our darling companion cats and dogs they simply fall to bits (die in the case of pets). Why is that? Entropy is the answer.

So, what is entropy? I know this is scientific staff and I am sure that very few people will read this article but I’m compelled to write about it anyway.

Entropy

I’ll start off describing what I think it is in my crude way and then below that I will publish what an AI computer tells me about entropy and below that I will publish what the computer says about how entropy concerns the deterioration of objects and the deterioration and ultimate death of living creatures.

Everything living and inanimate objects deteriorate and end up as ultimately as fundamental particles. Even the universe will one day be a bunch of protons. There will be nothing left of it but that is a few years away! 😎

The reason is that it takes more energy to hold things together in a fixed and/or functioning shape/structure than it does to let it become an amorphous object with no shape and no function. Brian Cox illustrated this with a sand castle. A wind was blowing. He built a sand castle. That took energy. His energy. And then we watched as the wind eroded the sand castle and it became a pile of sand; an amorphous mass of sand particles that neatly explains entropy.

It is a process that is explained by the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

And it is the most important word in the English language because it goes to the heart of our lives and the lives of our companion animals. It goes to everything that we do and experience. It affects us throughout our lives. When we become older it affects us more profoundly. We see the end of our lives and the ultimate end game of entropy; our death.

And when we are buried – if we are buried – we deteriorate and become a pile of particles with our DNA contained therein. If we are cremated our DNA is entirely broken down and is unrecognisable.

In summary, because entropy is so fundamental to our lives in a hidden way it is the most important word. People don’t really recognise its working. We all recognise the fact that things deteriorate and need maintenance but we don’t ask why. I’m trying to answer the question why.

Now below is some scientific stuff, for the scientist within you.

Entropy explained more scientifically by an AI computer

Entropy is a fundamental concept in physics and chemistry, and it plays a crucial role in understanding the behavior of systems. Let’s delve into its definition and explore some examples:

1. Definition of Entropy:
   • Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness within a system. It quantifies how much energy in a closed thermodynamic system is unavailable for performing useful work.
   • Symbol: S
   • Units: Joules per kelvin (J/K) or kg·m²·s⁻²·K⁻¹.
   • An ordered system has low entropy, while a disordered system has high entropy.
   • In equations, entropy represents the energy that cannot be harnessed to do work.
2. Examples of Entropy:
   • Clean Room vs. Messy Room: Imagine comparing a clean, organized room with a messy one. The clean room has low entropy because every object is in its place. In contrast, the messy room is disordered and has high entropy. Transforming a messy room into a clean one requires inputting energy.
   • Dissolving Substances: When you stir sugar into coffee, the sugar molecules become less organized, increasing the system’s entropy. Similarly, diffusion and osmosis involve molecules moving from regions of high concentration to low concentration until equilibrium is reached.
   • Phase Changes: Some phase changes increase entropy, while others decrease it. For instance:
     • As ice melts from a solid to a liquid, its entropy increases. Ice consists of water molecules in an ordered crystal lattice. As it melts, molecules gain energy, spread apart, and lose structure.
     • The phase change from liquid water to steam (gas) also increases entropy.

In summary, entropy reflects the degree of disorder or randomness in a system and is a fundamental concept in understanding natural processes.

The fact that everything gradually deteriorates including objects like cars and living animals is due to entropy. True?

True! The gradual deterioration of objects like cars and living organisms, including animals, is indeed linked to the concept of entropy. Let me explain further:

1. Entropy and Disorder:
   • As I mentioned earlier, entropy represents the disorder or randomness within a system.
   • In any closed system, the natural tendency is for entropy to increase over time.
   • When objects or systems become more disordered, their entropy rises.
2. Application to Objects and Living Organisms:
   • Objects (e.g., Cars):
     • Cars, buildings, and other physical structures are subject to wear and tear due to various factors: friction, exposure to the elements, chemical reactions, and mechanical stress.
     • Over time, these processes lead to the disintegration of materials, rust, and other forms of degradation.
     • The increase in disorder (higher entropy) corresponds to the gradual breakdown of these objects.
   • Living Organisms (e.g., Animals):
     • Living organisms also experience entropy-related effects:
       • Aging: As animals age, their cells and tissues undergo wear and tear. DNA damage accumulates, leading to reduced functionality.
       • Metabolism: The processes of metabolism (energy production, growth, and repair) generate waste products and increase disorder within the organism.
       • Entropy and Death: Ultimately, the increase in entropy contributes to the eventual death of living organisms. Entropy wins over the organization and order that life maintains temporarily.
3. Second Law of Thermodynamics:
   • The concept of entropy is closely tied to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
   • This law states that in any isolated system, the total entropy always tends to increase or remain constant but never decreases.
   • It explains why things naturally move from ordered states to more disordered states over time.

Video from Brian Cox