Implications of the second law of thermodynamics: "The result would inevitably be a state of universal rest and death, if the universe were finite and left to obey existing laws. But it is impossible to conceive a limit to the extent of matter in the universe; and therefore science points rather to an endless progress, through an endless space, of action involving the transformation of potential energy into palpable motion and hence into heat, than to a single finite mechanism, running down like a clock, and stopping forever." - William Thomson (1862) Whether we reach heat death depends entirely on whether the universe is finite and whether it is growing in size. If the universe were finite in size, then the idea of a heat death to the universe is understandable. Nevertheless, if the overall size of the universe were to increase as entropy rises, then there would certainly not be an absolute heat death. The average energy density in the universe would inevitably decrease, but the universe could endure to intensify in entropy on account of the lasting capability of valuable exertion and lasting gradients in temperature and compound structures.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 23:09:43 +0000
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