I love the bumper stickers that I see in
Berkeley and Oakland - one of my favorites reads "Entropy isn't what it
used to be!”. Before I knew about
entropy I thought that the word had a nice sound - it must be good. But in fact entropy is the idea that left
alone any natural system, any human endeavor, everything... tends to go from a
state of high organization to lower organization. The only way to fight entropy is to spend
energy opposing it. Every once in a
while I clear my desk, my work shop, my car, my garden... and then, over time, don't pay much attention and it dissipates back to piles of paper, tools, old coffee cups, weeds and fallen leaves. Left alone, any system tends toward disorganization
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| Bodie CA - rusting car |
Consider a tree - it takes in
CO2 from the air, water from the roots, a few minerals from the soil, and a steady supply of sunlight energy... it produces sugars, which are changed into cellulose, which is used to make cell walls. As long as
the tree takes in a steady supply of raw materials and sunlight energy it can
continue to 'fight' disorder.
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| Happy fungus - digesting our Jack O Lantern |
If the
tree dies the forces of decay take over - in time it is broken down by
termites, beetles, fungus, bacteria back to CO2 and water... The only winners in that decay are the
critters who gain energy to fight their own battle with entropy. If I cut the tree into firewood the sunlight
energy stored in the cellulose is quickly released in the forms of heat and
light, also CO2 and water are returned back to the world.
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| Stored solar energy - just waiting for me |
I am constantly
undergoing entropy - going from highly organized matter to lesser
organization. I fight this by taking in
energy into my body. I can not capture
sunlight energy directly so I have to usurp the energy captured by photosynthetic
organisms. If I decide to eat a baked
potato for dinner - that potato came from a plant that required months of
sunlight collection to create the stored starch that I eat in one meal (along
with other things). I may have chicken
with the potato - and while the chicken is not photosynthetic it gets its
energy from plant products or by eating bugs who eat plants.
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| Fungus returning carbon and oxygen to the ecosystem |
When my new young teachers start
the school year, 30 some students come into their classrooms - there is a very
low sense of order - the class culture has not yet been created - to lower the
level of disorder the teacher must spend a great deal of energy to create class
expectations with regard to work habits, behavior expectations, a sense of student responsibility. If the teacher focus and energy are allowed
to coast the students will move in the direction of increased entropy -
increased disorder. Once effective class culture is created, the energy required
to maintain it must be constant - Just like the tree - A great
oak tree needs daily energy to maintain - but not nearly as much as that needed
to create the tree in the first place.
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| The sun warms the soil - warm air rises - rising has a cooling effect - Air cools to its dew point - clouds form |
We all know how true entropy
is with regard to our roads and infrastructure - An uncared for road
deteriorates into pot holes... A constant input of energy is required to counteract the decay. Bridges rust, plumbing systems fall into disrepair, painting is necessary... it is the nature of things.
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| Every second our sun is losing energy - entropy is building - don't worry - the process is very slow |
It is easier to be uneducated. Education requires energy - its hard work. It is the way of entropy to follow the path of least resistance - hang out with friends instead of taking classes or developing knowledge. Some people gain knowledge outside of the formal schools and universities - the key thing is not to remain in ignorance ... Ignorant people (people without knowledge) are easily swayed and they add to the general disorder of society.
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| Social entropy - the earth possessions of a homeless person piled into a cart |
Social and political systems
are the same - A marriage or family requires a steady input of positive energy
to stay healthy. A union or political
party will decay if there are not creative people working to deal with
disruption and selfish interests. Some of our congress people
need to pay attention - are they doing the work of the people or are they enjoying
the benefits of public office and out seeking money to be reelected...? We need to be alert...
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| Capital Building - Washington DC |
Definitely not true for all - but those for whom it applies should be voted out. Being a responsible
leader requires having a vision of the common good and they providing the
energy to make that happen. Being a responsible voter means taking the time to know the issues, to know the record, and to not fall victim to high powered political advertising designed to influence us. Selfishness
and greed are agents of entropy.
"Left alone systems tend toward disorganization and lower energy". Fight entropy! The alternative is decay...
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| Niles fence - gone years without care |
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| Every storm carried sand and gravel from the hills to the flat lands - the organized hills are being reduced to flat planes |
