Feb 18, 2022·edited Feb 18, 2022Liked by Jesse Meadows
Hi there, I'm a chemist! I know you mention order/disorder falling out of fashion in thermodynamic circles, and want to add another perspective. The only thing I remember from my statistical thermodynamics course is that entropy is not disorder, but possible states.
So the universe tends towards more possibilities. Which, when you're trying to control and/or predict everything, yeah, it can be "disordered". But I do think it's kinda beautiful.
Someone recently noted to me that the word “potential” (as in “they aren’t living up to their potential”) isn’t supposed to mean “there was this one thing they were meant to do and they didn’t” but more like potential as the “multitude of possibilities” in the universe, that it’s really about abundance and expansiveness. When we narrow “potential” it down to a specific “should have done,” we’re really just making a value judgment. There are always another possibilities based on other values.
Hi there, I'm a chemist! I know you mention order/disorder falling out of fashion in thermodynamic circles, and want to add another perspective. The only thing I remember from my statistical thermodynamics course is that entropy is not disorder, but possible states.
So the universe tends towards more possibilities. Which, when you're trying to control and/or predict everything, yeah, it can be "disordered". But I do think it's kinda beautiful.
Someone recently noted to me that the word “potential” (as in “they aren’t living up to their potential”) isn’t supposed to mean “there was this one thing they were meant to do and they didn’t” but more like potential as the “multitude of possibilities” in the universe, that it’s really about abundance and expansiveness. When we narrow “potential” it down to a specific “should have done,” we’re really just making a value judgment. There are always another possibilities based on other values.
That is such a comfort and a balm, thank you Marta.
ohh thank you, i love that