The Raw Material of Reality

Information and Thermodynamics

Information, the raw material of objective reality, is the currency of the universe. It is the building block of all things, from the smallest atom to the vast expanse of the cosmos. It is the language of nature, the code that governs the behavior of matter and energy. And like any other raw material, information is subject to the laws of physics, including the laws of thermodynamics.  

Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat, work, and temperature. It is concerned with the energy transformations that occur in systems, and the direction in which those transformations tend to proceed. The laws of thermodynamics are fundamental to our understanding of the physical world, and they have profound implications for our understanding of information.  

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This law has a direct corollary in the realm of information, which is that information cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed or transmitted. Just as energy can be converted from one form to another, information can be converted from one format to another. For example, a book can be converted into an audiobook, or a digital image can be converted into a printed photograph.  

The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system always increases over time. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system. The second law tells us that systems tend to move from states of order to states of disorder. This law has a profound impact on the processing of information. When we process information, we are essentially taking a system that is in a state of order and transforming it into a state of disorder. This process is known as entropy reduction.  

The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a perfect crystal at absolute zero temperature is zero. This law has implications for the concept of consciousness, which can be thought of as a state of information processing. If consciousness is a state of information processing, then it must have a baseline state of entropy. This baseline state of entropy would be the state of consciousness that exists when there is no information being processed. This state of consciousness could be thought of as a state of pure potential, or a state of pure being.  

The relationship between information and thermodynamics is a complex and fascinating one. It is a relationship that is still being explored by scientists and philosophers alike. However, it is clear that information is a fundamental aspect of the universe, and that the laws of thermodynamics play a crucial role in shaping the way information is processed and transformed.