Entropy Update

I was thinking about entropy again, and I realized that I hadn't posted anything about this topic since November, 2006. It's not that I'm getting more optimistic, quite the contrary, I'm more resigned than ever to the inevitable. First, a reminder: what is entropy? There are several definitions. For example, in classical thermodynamics, entropy is the amount of energy wasted in heat when energy is converted to work; it's a waste product. Entropy always increases, it never decreases. In statistical mechanics, entropy is the measure of disorder in a system. Again, it always increases and never decreases. The more complicated and larger a system grows, the greater the entropy and the amount of waste. I covered some of this in a previous post.

Here are some thoughts on recent events: The American system of government has grown so complicated and cumbersome that the amount of entropy is making it unsustainable. Likewise the world economy. But for those who imagine that our technology will be our savior, I submit that our reliance on computer technology is in fact likely to bring about a total breakdown as the systems grow in complexity. The overhead in computer systems, like the amount of economic overhead going toward sustaining our debt, will, like the heat in any physical or chemical system, only grow, never decrease, until the system grinds to a halt.

That much seems obvious, but I always assumed it would happen sometime after my own lifetime. I may have failed to take into account the rate at which entropy tends to grow as the disorder in the system builds up near the end at an ever increasing rate. I thought I had very cleverly arranged things so that I would see the gradual deterioration without having to experience total breakdown. Now I'm not so sure. It seems I failed to account for the willful destructiveness of politicians who don't believe in physics, economics, or logic.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens when the system collapses. Will we realize our system of government -- the one we point to as an example for the rest of the world -- is broken? Or will we more likely continue to say "we're number one" and blame either the Republicans or the Democrats, depending on our own particular political delusion? It would make a good Star Trek episode: "Can't you see the difference? They're black on the right side; we're black on the left." And with hands firmly gripped around each others' necks they jump into the void. Unfortunately, this time, we're all going to be dragged in after them.

Well, I'm going to the beach, while there still is a beach, and I'm going to turn off all of my electronic devices. When I get back maybe everything will be all better. Yeah, right, and maybe everyone will suddenly go sane. Or perhaps some super being will zap the world with a smart ray and everyone will realize how stupid this all is. Yeah, I bet that could happen. I'm going with that: looking forward to seeing everybody on the smart side.