Entropy
In a closed system, disorder tends to increase over time.
Entropy is a central concept in thermodynamics and information theory. Simply put, entropy is a measure of how many ways a system can be arranged—the more possible states, the higher the entropy. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy in a closed system never spontaneously decreases. That is why order is a temporary, energy-intensive state. Cleaning, building, and organizing require work; decaying does not.
A room never cleans itself, but it gets messy without effort. A cup of coffee cools down to room temperature, never the other way around. An apple rots; the rotted apple never becomes a whole apple again.
Entropy provides a physical explanation for why time seems to have a direction. Without the second law, there would be no difference between moving forward and backward.
Entropy does not mean "chaos" in the everyday sense. A system can have high entropy without appearing messy—the concept is about the number of possible states, not aesthetics.
Take note during a single day of how much energy goes into simply maintaining order—at home, in your body, and at work.
Order costs work; disorder is free.
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