Can Future Civilizations Harness Entropy to Survive in an Expanding Universe?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter hammertime
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Future Life Universe
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential for future civilizations to harness entropy and used energy in the context of an expanding universe. It explores theoretical implications of the second law of thermodynamics and the life cycle of stars, particularly the sun, as factors influencing human survival and technological advancement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether future civilizations could harness used energy, such as heat from resistors, in light of increasing entropy as the universe expands.
  • Another participant emphasizes concerns about the sun's life cycle and its implications for human survival, suggesting that if humanity can survive the sun's eventual expansion, they might achieve significant technological advancements.
  • A later reply reiterates concerns about the sun's life cycle and references Professor Martin Rees's work, questioning the optimism of long-term survival and technological progress.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the feasibility of harnessing energy from entropy if humanity does not survive the sun's death.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the likelihood of humanity surviving the sun's life cycle and the implications for future technological capabilities. There is no consensus on whether harnessing entropy is a viable path for future civilizations.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the second law of thermodynamics and the concept of an 'entropy gap,' but the discussion does not resolve the implications of these concepts for future civilizations. Concerns about the sun's life cycle introduce additional uncertainties regarding long-term survival.

hammertime
Messages
133
Reaction score
0
I have a question regarding the future of civilization in the universe. As we all know, the universe is expanding and, as per the 2nd law of thermodynamics, entropy is increasing. However, could a future civilization find a way to harness used energy (ie heat dissipated from resistors)?

Also, I read somewhere that the maximum possible entropy in the universe rises as the universe expands, and that this creates a growing 'entropy gap' between the current entropy at any time in the universe and the maximum possible entropy at the same time. Could a civilization make use of this to survive?

Thanks.
 
Space news on Phys.org
Shouldn't we worry about our sun and it's life cycle or even if humans will make it to see the drawn out death (our sun would expand taking the planets, or at least most of them with it) I mean, if we get past surviving without our sun and our planet, then who knows how far we could make it.
 
Zenparticle said:
Shouldn't we worry about our sun and it's life cycle or even if humans will make it to see the drawn out death (our sun would expand taking the planets, or at least most of them with it) I mean, if we get past surviving without our sun and our planet, then who knows how far we could make it.
That aim might be a little optimistic, Professor Martin Rees, the British Astronomer Royal, asks Our Final Century: Will the Human Race Survive the Twenty-first Century?.

If we do then "who knows how far we could make it"?
 
Last edited:
Garth said:
That aim might be a little optimistic, Professor Martin Rees, the British Astronomer Royal, asks Our Final Century: Will the Human Race Survive the Twenty-first Century?.

If we do then "who knows how far we could make it"?
if we can survive something as devastating as the death of our sun, then we would be able to do just about anything, including; having a replicator like the one star trek , warp speed and Data- So, right It's unlikely we will even be around long enough to have a need to
find a way to harness used energy (ie heat dissipated from resistors)?
 

Similar threads

Undergrad 3 questions about a paper on density fluctuations in the Universe
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Undergrad Density fluctuations in a homogeneous linearly expanding universe?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
High School Low entropy early Universe and the heat death musings
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Undergrad Could cosmic rays induce a vacuum decay in the future?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Graduate Could the Laws of Physics Be Proportional to Entropy?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
Graduate Predicted Heat Death of the Universe
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
5K
Undergrad Probability of not entering de Sitter
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate What about 2nd law of thermodynamics in Cyclic Universe Model?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
6K
How can life exist in an increasingly entropic universe?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Graduate Inflation and entropy as information explain past hypotesis?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K