Fighting the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Hal Cranmer
June 09, 2025

Time for a physics lesson. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states:

“In any spontaneous process, the total entropy of an isolated system always increases, and the spontaneous flow of heat is always from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. Essentially, natural processes tend towards disorder (higher entropy) and heat always flows from hot to cold.”

There’s a force in this universe, and it ain’t the one giving power to the Jedi. It’s called entropy. There are several definitions of entropy from a scientific perspective. I want to focus on one.

“A process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder”.

As we grow older, our bodies degrade. It’s not a matter of health. It’s a matter of physics.

When I was a pilot, a simulator instructor once told me:

“You can choose not to follow the old guys techniques, and you’ll be ok. You can choose not to follow the rules in your technical publications, and you might be ok. But you can’t choose not to follow the rules of physics.”

Unfortunately we can’t choose not to follow the rule of entropy. Our bodies will do the same as every other system in the universe and degrade.

There’s a difference, however, between choosing not to follow the rules of physics, and fighting the rule.

We perform maintenance on our homes, our cars, our boats and any other item of value we own.

We do it to avoid entropy.

So why do we avoid fighting entropy in the most valuable item we have - our own bodies?

Because entropy also occurs in our will to fight entropy. If that makes sense?

Motivation is subject to entropy. Just like everything else. Old people in general spend less time fighting entropy in their bodies. Coincidentally they also spend less time maintaining their homes and cars.

Many of them sell their boats. Or neglect them as well.

The converse is also true. Fighting entropy in your body should also slow down your loss of motivation.

As you work harder and accomplish tasks to fight entropy, your brain releases dopamine -that feel-good chemical associated so much with addiction.

Even completing small tasks fights entropy and improves your motivation to complete larger tasks.

If you or your elderly relative is feeling the effects of entropy, then knocking out a simple to-do list can really help you or them fight it.

Prepare a healthy meal from scratch
Take a sauna
Jump in a cold shower
Go for a walk
Complete some yard work
Replace the furnace filters

Just come up with a list and check items off.

Entropy hates it when you do that.

Even though entropy will win in the end, it doesn’t mean you can’t go out without a fight. And you can delay its victory as long as possible.

To me the fight against entropy is also the definition of life.