Soilguy: "What force can possibly oppose entropy (which is not a force at all)?"
Yes, I'll have to watch my semantics. Force, as in 'impetus', soilguy, but perhaps it would be better to say 'process'. Sorry about that.
Soilguy: "Also, a universe dominated by entropy would be what, in reality? The predicted final state of the universe, perhaps, but we are quite a bit removed from that date. Our universe has no lack of useful energy."
As we may all know, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the universe tends toward high entropy. That's to say, there are processes in the universe that are converting various forms of energy into heat energy. Certainly, a 'heat death' of the universe would be in the unimaginably distant future, but in the meantime it's on its way, and the process of thermodynamic entropy does in fact dominate. What I find so remarkable about life (living things) is that it's so incredibly complex and organised, and runs counter to the process of entropy.
My understanding (such as it is) is that information and entropy are two sides of the same coin. The 'increase of entropy' is another way of saying the 'loss of information'. The advent of living organisms was, as I said, counter to the process of entropy. Living things are focal points of information. I can't say more, because beyond that I don't know what it means. Maybe someone could open a new thread and provide some info?
Please excuse the detour, but life is so complex that its origin is seen by many as "Evidence for God".
