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The Astonishing Power of Disequilibrium
A Tiny Bit Less Cold
The Astonishing Power of Disequilibrium
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Andy Fletcher, scientist and lecturer, said this:
“The universe arrived courtesy of big bang in the highest state of order, i.e. of thermodynamic equilibrium, that it would ever be in. The background temperature and density was perfect to one part in 100,000.”
But!
“That tiny imperfection, that tiny nudge of disorder, was the bit that expanded eventually into to the universe and ultimately to you and me being here. In the places where the temperature was a bit colder (by one part in 100,000), matter collected, matter that eventually clumped into gas clouds, which clumped into stars, which clumped into galaxies.”
Think about that. All you need is one part in100,000, one nanoscopic scoop of disequilibrium in the form of imperceptible cold, and voilà! Life. Without that bit, matter and antimatter would have swallowed each other up; and the “world” would have returned to nothing, waiting it out, again, for another big bang to “come along.”
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But there it was. Anomaly.
I love that we started that way. I love that our most, most, most ancient ancestor is an entity of difference. I love that life arose from a break from balance, a pinning of perfection, a snubbing of sameness. And I would argue that it is that feature of our nature that defines our intelligence. Not our brains, our intelligence. Our best thinking. Our shining of light Into murk, especially when murk is being peddled as light.
We could do with more stray bits of disequilibrium at the moment, I feel. Sameness seems to be smothering our senses, our probes, our courage even to search for the torch. Oh, you may say, please no, we have enough chaos. Ah, but chaos destroys equilibrium; it does not enhance it. I would argue, in fact, that disequilibrium is the answer to chaos. I would say, let us restore equilibrium sweet step by sweet step and then ask the disturbing questions, just enough to produce matter and get on with life.
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​Andy Fletcher: https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Universe-random-or-designed, http://www.lifeuniverseverything.org/
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