Ever heard of the "heat death" theory?
"Heat Death" is the phrase introduced to me by my college physics professor - a man who loved his Bob Dylan, and the only physicist I knew who wore an earring.
They say matter can not be created nor destroyed. It just changes states. However, heat is dissipated in reactions. Heat is given off and not converted to another form. So the theory is that all these reactions happening in the universe are giving off heat.
initial matter ---> resulting matter + "heat"
(or something like that)
Eventually all the matter will be converted to heat, and there will be nothing left. The heat given off over the years & years will not be converted to anything new.
That's how the universe might end
That's how the universe might meet its "death" - via "Heat Death"
Maybe they do a better job of explaining it here.
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae181.cfm
When I first heard this concept, it was mind blowing..."Get out!!"
Kinda of scared me a little, too.
Physics is so philosophical . To think there are electrons, protons, and neutrons at the core of it all
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2 comments:
Thanks for posting Heat Death. It's made me want to read up on it and also it reminded me that I have a second cousin living in Chicago who is a physicist teaching at DePaul. We lost touch. Time to reconnect and talk Heat Death.
Well, you learn something new everyday.
Hopefully I will be able to finish reading the one book on George Bush before this Heat Death takes place.
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