ENTROPY
One might wonder what heat
has to do with enlightenment, however, it has allot to do
with enlightenment because there are many things one may
say about heat and order which are true, and
enlightenment has everything to do with truth.
Heat can be transferred in many ways such as, through
convention, convection, and radiation. Convention is the
transfer of heat directly through conductors. Convection
is the transfer of heat through indirect conductors such
as from hot air being blown from a hair dryer. Radiation
is the transfer of heat through energy, light waves, or
particles. For example, the Sun radiates heat on those at
the beach. In a way, however, these three forms of heat
transfer are actually different observations of the same
thing.
There are also certain things which can be said regarding
the movement of heat and the atoms where heat originates.
For starters, there is no heat without the transfer of
matter to energy. Fire, chemical reactions, atomic
chain-reactions, all are examples of matter being
transferred into energy with heat as a by product.
Everything in the Universe is at least loosely connected
to every other thing. Everything in the universe also has
temperature, even space itself has temperature, and thus,
heat is moving from everything to every other thing
according to certain laws. The laws of physics which deal
with the transfer of heat are the laws of thermodynamics.
Now, there are certain laws that govern thermodynamics.
First, the transfer of heat is not symmetrical, heat
moves only in one direction, from warm to cool. So what
is heat you ask? A characteristic of something hot is
that the atoms which make it up are excited and moving
about more frantically the hotter it gets. When water is
heated, the heat makes the water atoms move more rapidly
in the same tight space. As it boils, and the water gets
hotter and hotter, some water moves so rapidly that it
turns into steam and rises up into the cooler air above
the pot. So, movement, or activity, is a characteristic
of something with temperature. Even the states of matter
are directly related to temperature. This is very
important since each of us and everything around us is
made up of matter.
Entropy is a measure of the disorganization, or chaos, of
a system. It is the amount of energy no longer available
for work. This energy is equal to the loss of order. The
second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of
any component of a system may be raised or lowered, but
the entropy of the system overall increases with time.
Thus, if we consider the Universe as a system, it is
breaking down little by little overall. This means that
if it had existed forever, it would have died out an
eternity ago. Thus, the second law of thermodynamics
proves that the Universe was indeed created and did not
always exist.
Time and entropy also have direct correlation. Without
change, time does not march. How could you tell time had
past if nothing at all had changed? However, in reality,
everything in the Universe is "burning" as
entropy takes its toll. Everything is changing and this
change is relative. Everything is giving off or absorbing
heat, and heat is the result of change. Some things are
getting hotter, some things are getting colder, but
overall, things are moving from a state of
"order" to a state of "disorder".
(Order here refers to how atoms align themselves with
each other the cooler they are.) Things could be said to
be moving from a state of matter to a state of energy.
The Universe is giving off heat, expanding, losing mass,
cooling, and will eventually come to an end, if only
temporarily.
It is this change taking place that allows us to see. The
light from the Sun which enables us to see during the day
is a result of atomic explosions on the Sun. As long as
the Universe has temperature, entropy has not run its
course and will continue to do so through convention,
convection, and radiation. Not until everything in the
Universe has no temperature (absolute zero), and thus,
the Universe has reached maximum entropy will the second
law of thermodynamics no longer apply. At absolute zero,
there is no change at all.
We cannot reach absolute zero in the laboratory because
everything in the Universe is connected and thereby heat
transfer is taking place even through the best vacuums we
can create. This in mind, it follows that the transfer of
heat throughout the Universe is inefficient. If the fires
of entropy consumed instantly and the transfer of heat
throughout the Universe was immediate, the Universe would
burn up and reach absolute zero instantly.
The third law of thermodynamics states that the cooler
things are, the more "orderly" they are and the
less change is taking place. For example, when water
freezes, it turns into ice whose water molecules are
tightly packed and "orderly". This is one
reason why we refrigerate our foods. The colder
perishable foods remain, the less change is taking place,
and thus the longer they stay fresh.
What do these laws and theories mean for us? Well, for
starters, all the laws of thermodynamics apply to our
flesh as well. After all, you are but a flame within a
fire. Even the aging of our flesh is the result of
entropy. If you can reduce the amount of change going on
in your body, it will last longer. When your body
replaces cells, it does not always make an exact copy,
this is one reason why our bodies change. This is also
why anti-oxidants like Vitamin E are so popular today.
Anti-oxidants reduce "free radicals" which
cause imperfections in cell reproduction. So too, cosmic
radiation (a form of heat transfer) bombards our bodies
reeking havoc on our cells. You may have heard that
excessive x-rays are damaging too. It is said that one
transcontinental airplane ride is equal to one chest
x-ray. What this means is that there are all types of
forces affecting us which are bringing disorder into our
flesh.
All the products one buys have something to do with heat,
and thus, entropy. When one buys gas, one is buying
something to burn, namely, fuel. When one buys food, one
is buying calories to burn. When one buys clothes, one is
insulating ones body from heat or from lack of heat,
which is the cold. Ones home will insulate one from the
outside environment. Air conditioning and refrigeration
also slow the process of change which would otherwise be
taking place. Entropy is big business. Even vitamins and
lotions are taken in hopes of decreasing entropy.
There is entropy taking place in ones mind too. If one
can reduce the disorganization of ones beliefs, and
"still" ones unnecessary thought activity, ones
mind comes into cohesion and expanded awareness. Pain,
which is the main stumbling block to enlightenment, can
be likened unto disorder.
Purify ones thoughts. To observe filth and disorder is to
become affected by filth, because whatever one observes
affects one in some way. Ones mind may become filled with
filth and disorder. If one can learn to observe order,
ones mind actually becomes more orderly. If one observes
cleanliness, or even the process of cleaning, ones mind
becomes more clean. Organization, even if seemingly
"random", automatically decreases entropy. To
observe organization is to become more organized. To
observe youth is to become more youthful. To observe
truth is to become more truthful.
