hedging bets against entropy

entropy : n. : Thermodynamics. a.(on a macroscopic scale) a function of thermodynamic variables, as temperature, pressure, or composition, that is a measure of the energy that is not available for work during a thermodynamic process. A closed system evolves toward a state of maximum entropy. b. (in statistical mechanics) a measure of the randomness of the microscopic constituents of a thermodynamic system. Symbol: S. (in data transmission and information theory) a measure of the loss of information in a transmitted signal or message. (in cosmology) a hypothetical tendency for the universe to attain a state of maximum homogeneity in which all matter is at a uniform temperature (heat death). a doctrine of inevitable social decline and degeneration.

a lot of people I talk to treat entropy like it is a synonym for chaos, which is quite far from the truth of the matter. certainly entropy has a lot to do with randomness. from the perspective of a person looking for a neat orderly predictable system, I can see how one would associate entropy with chaos, or the tending of orderly systems to chaos.

in all honesty though, when you sit down and look at the universe in terms of 'order', chaos and randomness really is the standard, and 'order' to us humans is a very alien and abstract concept completely out of tune with reality.

motivated people are the hedge against social decline.

life is the hedge against maximum homogeneity.

and Lordi really kicks ass.