Can the Heat Death of the Universe Be Prevented?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothetical heat death of the universe and whether it can be prevented. Participants explore various theories, implications, and speculative ideas related to this concept, touching on thermodynamics, entropy, and potential future scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Humorous commentary

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that if heat death is a future state, then it is inherently unavoidable, as it is part of the definition of heat death.
  • Others propose that random chance could prevent heat death from occurring, referencing statistical possibilities.
  • A few participants mention creative solutions, such as escaping to parallel universes or using gravitational tidal forces to maintain habitable conditions on planets.
  • Some humorously argue that everyday activities, like keeping living spaces tidy, could metaphorically delay entropy.
  • One participant notes that the second law of thermodynamics implies that heat death will eventually happen, but acknowledges the statistical nature of entropy.
  • There are references to science fiction, such as Asimov's "The Last Question," as a way to frame the discussion around the heat death concept.
  • Some participants express frustration with the tone of the discussion, seeking more straightforward answers rather than humor or sarcasm.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the possibility of preventing heat death, with some asserting it is inevitable while others speculate on potential ways to delay or avoid it. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing views present.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various assumptions about thermodynamics, entropy, and the nature of the universe, but these assumptions are not universally agreed upon. The discussion includes speculative ideas that are not grounded in established scientific consensus.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring concepts in thermodynamics, cosmology, and philosophical implications of entropy, as well as readers who enjoy speculative and humorous takes on serious scientific topics.

VelociBlade
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Is there a way that the hypothetical heat death of the universe can be prevented, if the danger exists? The heat death is a possible final state of the universe, in which it has "run down" to a state of no thermodynamic free energy to sustain motion or life. In other words, It has reached maximum entropy.
 
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If we get really* lucky, it'll just randomly not happen.

*Really, really, lucky.
 
Well I doubt it will happen in our lifetime
 
VelociBlade said:
Is there a way that the hypothetical heat death of the universe can be prevented, if the danger exists? The heat death is a possible final state of the universe, in which it has "run down" to a state of no thermodynamic free energy to sustain motion or life. In other words, It has reached maximum entropy.
If a state of maximum entropy were ever reached, the entire universe would have to be at the same temperature and would have to have zero gravitational potential energy. Otherwise one could extract useful work from reservoirs at different temperatures or at different gravitational potentials, and thereby increase the entropy of the universe.

In order to achieve that state of maximum entropy, the universe would have to stop expanding. Good luck on that one.

AM
 
I'll get around to it as soon as I've fixed all those other problems threatening mankind. :)
 
Short answer; no. If heat death is the future of the universe, there is nothing that can be done about it. That is sort of included in the definition of "heat death." If we were able to do anything, it wouldn't be heat death.
 
In these troubled times, it is everybody's responsibility to keep our dorm rooms / apartments / houses / etc. neat and orderly. Do your part to keep the universe's entropy as low as possible, and together we can forestall the inevitable Heat Death for a long, long time.

:biggrin:

A public service message from the PF Community Spirit Guru
 
Redbelly98 said:
In these troubled times, it is everybody's responsibility to keep our dorm rooms / apartments / houses / etc. neat and orderly. Do your part to keep the universe's entropy as low as possible, and together we can forestall the inevitable Heat Death for a long, long time.

:biggrin:

A public service message from the PF Community Spirit Guru


Yeah, the best thing to do after being sealed in a tunnel by a cave in is to give a long winded talk on how to conserve oxygen.
 
  • #10
chronon said:
3)Asimov:The Last Question

Great historical documentary. I asked that question in the last universe. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
Redbelly98 said:
In these troubled times, it is everybody's responsibility to keep our dorm rooms / apartments / houses / etc. neat and orderly. Do your part to keep the universe's entropy as low as possible, and together we can forestall the inevitable Heat Death for a long, long time.

:biggrin:

A public service message from the PF Community Spirit Guru


Haha, yes! Don't worry. I'm doing my part. I put together all the jigsaw puzzles in my house and I built things out of all of my Legos.

Also, I've given up scrambled eggs and I don't put ice in my water anymore.


That should buy us some time.
 
  • #12
Y'know, if we build a way to extinguish stars (and save them to power fuel cells) then in principle we could postpone heat death.

..hopefully we won't instead speed it up significantly, though that would be more consistent with our historical resource usage.
 
  • #13
Fruitcake is a conspiracy to increase entropy. It's so obvious, when you think about it.
 
  • #14
csprof2000 said:
Fruitcake is a conspiracy to increase entropy. It's so obvious, when you think about it.

It is! Think about how hard it is to bite into that garbage! That's a lot of dissipated energy!

You know what else is a conspiracy? Gyms!


Gyms almost do nothing but contribute to the end of the universe.
"Here, you add GPE to this mass and take it away, over and over again. You, run for as long as you can on this machine that makes you not go anywhere. You, get this flywheel going with your feet, and don't worry, we'll put resistance on it."

Just think about jumping jacks. A jumping jack is like 100% heat energy!

That's it! From now on, I'm morally opposed to exercise. How could I knowingly waste all my energy (with potential to do work) like that? How could I sleep at night, knowing that with every push-up, I bring the universe one step closer to maximum entropy?

Stand up against this waste of working energy!

Actually, don't stand up. It's bad for the universe.
 
  • #15
Youu know, I was pretty much hoping for a straight answer to the question instead of all these sarcastic remarks. I just wanted a straight yes or no.
 
  • #16
My answer was serious.

If we're lucky enough, it'll just not happen. It's called "statistics".
 
  • #17
csprof2000 said:
My answer was serious.

If we're lucky enough, it'll just not happen. It's called "statistics".

It will happen. It's called "the 2nd law of thermodynamics".
 
  • #18
I assume you understand that the second law of thermodynamics is statistical. It could just so happen that entropy reverses forever and ever after a certain point. Unlikely, but you never know.
 
  • #19
VelociBlade said:
Youu know, I was pretty much hoping for a straight answer to the question instead of all these sarcastic remarks. I just wanted a straight yes or no.

Sorry if my joke was not appreciated.

Serious answer: there is nothing we can do to prevent the heat death of the universe. However, long before this happens our sun will run out of nuclear fuel, and burn out or go nova.
 
  • #20
Redbelly98 said:
Sorry if my joke was not appreciated.

I liked it :)
 
  • #21
It's not the jokes I don't like. It's the excess of them that bug me.
 
  • #22
I think you could use gravitational tidal forces to keep a planet heated up enough to support life for quite some time after stars have used up all the hydrogen and other elements in the universe. I think the eventuality of it though is the Heat Death.
 
  • #23
There's insufficient data for a meaningful answer.



Somebody had to say it.
 

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