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-------------------------------- 2321 - Entropy and Evolution
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- The Universe is expanding , creating more disorder (random separation of matter) as it moves. In fact, the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, creating more disorder ever faster. This expansion eventually pulls all matter and all particles apart having less and less probability of getting together again to recreate order.
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- Eventually (using the word in its broadest sense) all matter is gone and the Universe is only energy again. So, the Universe becomes empty, just a vacuum of ever expanding energy. And it ends empty, just expanding energy.
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- Until God snaps his fingers and two such expanding Universes collide causing a tremendous explosion. Energy so concentrated in this big bang that it exceeds 900,000,000,000 kilograms per square meter per second squared and mass is again created according to the ratio mass = Energy / (speed-of-light)^2.
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------------------------------------- E=mc^2
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- Mass collides with itself inside this explosion and new matter is created. First, the fundamental particles, quarks and electrons, held together by a single force. Then, as the expansion of the big bang continues the new Universe cools to the degree that the force of gravity is frozen out of the inferno, later comes the strong force, then the weak force, and lastly the electromagnetic force.
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- As the new forces interact with matter the fundamental particles begin to recombine. Quarks combine to form protons, then protons combine with electrons to form neutral hydrogen. When this happens the neutral hydrogen atmosphere at the edges of the Big Bang release electromagnetic energy and for the first time photons escape and high energy gamma rays burst into the void.
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- Today we can still see these same gamma rays that have cooled down to 2.7 degrees Kelvin, 2.4 Ghz of microwave background radiation that baths our Earth from all directions.
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- The Greeks were the first to record their scientific perception of the “reality” they observed in the Universe. They came up with the concept that if you continually divided matter into smaller and smaller parts you would eventually get to an elementary particle that was indivisible. It is these smallest particles that make up the entire Universe. The Greeks called this indivisible element, the atom.
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- When the elements of the periodic table where first discovered scientists thought that the molecules and atoms of these elements were the indivisible elements the Greeks had predicted. Later it was discovered that heat and chemical reactions could separate the electrons from their nucleus. The negative electron and the positive proton became the next indivisible elements.
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- When science began to understand the isotopes of the elements they discovered the neutron to also be part of the nucleus of atoms. Now we had only three indivisible elements, electrons, protons, and neutrons.
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- The nucleus of positive protons are bound together by the Strong Force and it takes a great deal of energy to divide a nucleus. The tool physicists use to split a nucleus is the particle accelerator. Like shooting a particle from a canon they fire at the target nucleus to see what gets blown apart.
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- What they found were a bunch of new particles. These particles were too small to see however physicists were using cloud chambers and photographic films to see the tracks that the charged particles left in their wake. This is much like looking at a contrail of a high flying jet. The jet may be too far away to be seen but the giant plum of white water vapor makes its trail clearly visible.
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- Physicists studied the vapor trails of the exploding particles that make up the atom’s nucleus. Quarks, electrons, muons and neutrinos were discovered and each was defined for its mass, velocity, energy, polarity, spin and direction. The list totaled 12 fundamental particles and four fundamental force carriers.
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- Were these the indivisible elements the Greeks had predicted?
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- Most of these particles have very short life times. Some have very long lifetimes. Nature apparently allows localized areas to evolve with a certain combination of elements. There are 92 elements that occur naturally on Earth from these long lived fundamental particles.
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- Everything on Earth, all life, our own bodies are made up of these some of these 92 elements (240 elements if you count the isotopes of these 92). Nature has her own particle accelerator. It comes in the form of cosmic rays that constantly bombard the Earth. These cosmic rays can also have the effect of dividing the elements and atoms into their fundamental particles.
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- Throughout our lives these cosmic rays, high energy protons and helium nuclei, bombard our bodies and cause mutations in our DNA. Some mutations are good. They correspond to the heredity that formed when the X and Y chromosomes with their mutations combined when your mother and father conceived you in your mother’s womb.
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- Heredity could give you fast-twitch muscles that allow you to run the 100 meter dash in record time. Or, slow twitch muscles that allow you to have the endurance to win the marathon race. Or, blue eyes. Or, olive complexion. These are all characteristics of heredity and mutations handed down in the DNA from generation to generation.
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- Good mutations win out in evolution because by definition good mutations are those that help us survive to pass them on. Bad mutations loose out because by definition they handicap survival and tend to disappear on their own account.
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- From the time we are born our life exists as long as our bodies have the ability to grow and repair themselves. Eventually, the bombardments win out and the body deteriorates to the point it can no longer continue the repair process.
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- This too is entropy - matter continues towards disorder and disintegration. Eventually, everything gets reduced to pure energy.
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- My corollary for entropy-to-live-by is that things naturally and eventually always get worse. You have only so many heartbeats in your lifetime. When you get to the last one you’re done.
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- So, enjoy the good times when you can find them and find as many as you can. Entropy will eventually win no matter what you do. Words to live by.
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- Other Reviews available about Entropy:
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- 1917 - How entropy controls the fate of the Universe.
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- 1914 - Entropy is the arrow of time. Thermodynamics and the fate of the universe. Was 964.
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- 770 - Too much information.
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- March 22, 2019 530
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-------------------------- Friday, March 22, 2019 --------------------------
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