Is increase in entropy synonymous with the flow of time?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between entropy and the flow of time, particularly in the context of the second law of thermodynamics. Participants argue that while entropy increases in an irreversible manner, it does not necessarily dictate the speed of time or the rotation of celestial bodies like Earth. The concept of "rate of entropy" is debated, with some asserting that it lacks formal meaning in thermodynamics. Ultimately, the consensus leans towards the idea that entropy and time are not synonymous, as changes in entropy do not directly correlate with changes in the Earth's rotational speed.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the second law of thermodynamics
  • Familiarity with the concept of entropy as a thermodynamic property
  • Basic knowledge of celestial mechanics and Earth's rotation
  • Awareness of thermodynamic irreversibility
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of the second law of thermodynamics on time perception
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  • Study the relationship between energy availability and entropy in thermodynamic systems
  • Investigate the concept of emergent time and its relation to physical processes
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, cosmologists, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and their implications for time and the universe.

  • #31
I like thinking about time with an entropy perspective. In some ways its more intuitive than the usual relativistic way of looking at it. Clocks are devices which increase in entropy in a 'regular' fashion, with regular being defined as having constant ratios with other 'clocks'. The beginning of the universe has the lowest entropy possible, and thus was the earliest time possible. The macrostate of the small early universe has very, very few microstates associated with it. The end game of a heat death is a macrostate with the most possible microstates associated with it, this would be the end of time. If the universe is a closed system then both the early universe and late universe are accessible microstates and the entropy is constant, but any sub-system considered would not necessarily be like that.
 
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  • #32
Hypothetically speaking...if doubling the "rate" of entropy caused time to speed up, then as we measure rates with respect to time, there would be no change would there?

I am not sure I can back this statement up with sound arguments, but I think time is a quantity/entity that does not require entropy for rate or direction. Rather the opposite. Entropy cannot increase (or decrease) without the time dimension to exist within.
 

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