Entropy & Decay

[AlexB23]

Hello folks. Today will be a devotional on entropy, which is the scientific theory about why stuff breaks down, and is described in scripture.

Date​	June 15, 2024 | Entropy & Decay​
Verse​	Psalm 102:25-27 (NIV): "In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." Psalm 90:10 (NIV): "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." Genesis 3:19 (NIV): "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 6:3 (NIV): "Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’"​
Explanation​	These four passages from the Bible reflect on the nature of God, the transience of the world, and the inevitability of decay and death. Let's break down each passage: ​ Psalm 102:25-27: This passage praises God as the eternal Creator who laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens. It acknowledges that everything created will eventually perish and wear out, just like clothing, but God remains the same. This understanding of God's eternal nature and the impermanence of the created world is a common theme in the Bible. Psalm 90:10: This verse recognizes that human life is brief, with an average lifespan of 70 to 80 years. It acknowledges that the best years are often filled with trouble and sorrow, but also that time passes quickly. This passage emphasizes the importance of making the most of the time we have and living in a way that honors God. As of 2021, the average life expectancy of the world is 71.0 years. Genesis 3:19: This verse is a consequence of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. It emphasizes the reality of the human condition – that we must work hard to survive and that we will eventually return to the earth from which we were taken. This passage reminds us of the importance of stewardship and hard work, as well as the reality of death and the impermanence of our physical bodies. Genesis 6:3: This verse describes God's decision to limit human lifespan to 120 years due to their wickedness. It underscores the importance of living a righteous life and the reality that even the longest human lives are finite. The longest living human, Jeanne Calment of France, passed away at age 122 in 1997, close to the maximum lifespan as outlined in Genesis. More recently, a Japanese Christian woman named Kane Tanaka (田中カ子) lived to 119 years from 1903 to 2022. These passages relate to entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) in that they acknowledge the impermanence and decay of the physical world. Entropy is the natural tendency of energy to move from a more ordered state to a less ordered state, leading to an increase in disorder or randomness over time. The Bible acknowledges this scientific reality, but also emphasizes that God remains constant and unchanging, despite the changing nature of the world.
Societal Relevance​	Decay is a natural part of life, and is based on scripture and science. In modern society, we can work to mitigate decay on our cars, roads and homes as well as on our bodies. However, obsessing about decay will not change things. Regarding how we can take care of our possessions, vehicles, and ourselves without overly brooding about decay, the Bible encourages us to live wisely and make the most of the time we have. Proverbs 13:22 states, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children." This suggests that taking care of what we have is a way of honoring God and providing for future generations. Additionally, focusing on the things that truly matter, such as our relationship with God and with others, can help put the transience of material possessions into perspective. For myself, I tend not to take care of things that well. In the past, I used to destroy my belongings, as a lot of young kids did, as well as damaging the riding lawnmower in 2014 at my parents’ previous home by reversing quickly out of turns (damaging the drive system). Four years prior, after watching a KOHLER® advert on TV, where a guy flushed random objects down the toilet, my mind went to “Hey, what items can go down the toilet”, and I acted upon it. Two toilets later, and a summer of chores in 2010 taught me right. Nowadays, in the 2020s, taking care of items has been my goal. My laptop is already 7 years old, and I am planning on keeping my new Samsung phone for 6 years until 2030 or later. In summary, taking care of ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and our belongings glorifies God, and prevents wastage.​

 

[awstar]

focusing on the things that truly matter, such as our relationship with God and with others, can help put the transience of material possessions into perspective.

Very timely post. Thank You. I spent most of yesterday rummaging through old stuff. From clothing to CDs to archived data files. I can testify that entropy is real. One of the data files was a listing of a group I was a member of ten years ago. Half of the souls listed by name are now with the Lord.

In a way, entropy is a gift from God. It forces one to rely more and more on the indwelling Holy Spirit and less and less on the body and that part of the soul which interfaces with the body like the intellect and the emotions and especially memory.

 

[AlexB23]

Very timely post. Thank You. I spent most of yesterday rummaging through old stuff. From clothing to CDs to archived data files. I can testify that entropy is real. One of the data files was a listing of a group I was a member of ten years ago. Half of the souls listed by name are now with the Lord.

In a way, entropy is a gift from God. It forces one to rely more and more on the indwelling Holy Spirit and less and less on the body and that part of the soul which interfaces with the body like the intellect and the emotions and especially memory.

Wow, I am glad that I have helped you, brother. Amen to this, as entropy is truly a gift from God, it makes us realize that our lives, clothes and media will break down, while God and the Holy Spirit last a long time. And yes, we will loose a lot of friends and family in our lives, but knowing that our Christian family and friends will be with God gives me and you solace. What group were you a part of?

So, you have had CD rot, and data rot? I am only 24, so none of that has happened yet, so my trip photos on my USB drive are safe, for now.

 

[awstar]

What group were you a part of?

It’s a local chapter of a global ministry. I won’t say the group’s name, but they affectionately refer to themselves as just a bunch of old guys and their dads.

So, you have had CD rot, and data rot? I am only 24, so none of that has happened yet, so my trip photos on my USB drive are safe, for now.

I’ve lived through both audio and data storage explosions in both form and density. USB may be relatively safe, but there’s still the issue of which type of USB port they connect to that can still trip you up. I have to connect my USB drive to a dongle in order to use it with my wife’s laptop.

 

[AlexB23]

It’s a local chapter of a global ministry. I won’t say the group’s name, but they affectionately refer to themselves as just a bunch of old guys and their dads.





I’ve lived through both audio and data storage explosions in both form and density. USB may be relatively safe, but there’s still the issue of which type of USB port they connect to that can still trip you up. I have to connect my USB drive to a dongle in order to use it with my wife’s laptop.

Interesting. Even USB stuff can die after a decade or so. In other words, to prevent data rot, it is always a good idea to plug in the flash drive every year or more often. You wife uses a Mac? Apple laptops were notorious for dongles a few years ago.

 

[awstar]

You wife uses a Mac? Apple laptops were notorious for dongles a few years ago.

you guessed right. I use one too. I have a whole box of dongles I can't get myself to throw out.

 

[AlexB23]

you guessed right. I use one too. I have a whole box of dongles I can't get myself to throw out.

Apple is good, but the dongles are kinda messed up. I have a Microsoft Surface Book 2 (overpriced as well), but I might get a Framework laptop in a few years and run Linux on it, which can almost defeat electronics entropy by having user-replaceable parts.

Framework 16: Framework Laptop 16" Repair

 

[awstar]

Interesting. Are there any desktop computers that are Do It Yourself like the FRAMEWORK laptop?

 

[AlexB23]

Interesting. Are there any desktop computers that are Do It Yourself like the FRAMEWORK laptop?

Yeah, but you have to build them yourself, and most do not come in kits.

Want a Better PC? Try Building Your Own

Assembling a computer yourself is a good way to learn how they work.

www.wired.com