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The heat death of the universe (also known as the Big Chill or Big Freeze) [1] [2] is a hypothesis on the ultimate fate of the universe, which suggests the universe will evolve to a state of no thermodynamic free energy, and will therefore be unable to sustain processes that increase entropy.
The entropy of the universe tends to a maximum. Thus, if entropy is associated with disorder and if the entropy of the universe is headed towards maximal entropy, then many are often puzzled as to the nature of the "ordering" process and operation of evolution in relation to Clausius' most famous version of the second law, which states that the ...
Under this scenario, the universe eventually reaches a state of maximum entropy in which everything is evenly distributed and there are no energy gradients—which are needed to sustain information processing, one form of which is life. This scenario has gained ground as the most likely fate. [18]
In physics, maximum entropy thermodynamics (colloquially, MaxEnt thermodynamics) views equilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics as inference processes. More specifically, MaxEnt applies inference techniques rooted in Shannon information theory, Bayesian probability, and the principle of maximum entropy.
The hot gas in the early universe was near thermodynamic equilibrium (see Horizon problem); in systems where gravitation plays a major role, this is a state of low entropy, due to the negative heat capacity of such systems (this is in contrary to non-gravitational systems where thermodynamic equilibrium is a state of maximum entropy). Moreover ...
Although entropy does increase in the model of an expanding universe, the maximum possible entropy rises much more rapidly, moving the universe further from the heat death with time, not closer. [ 97 ] [ 98 ] [ 99 ] This results in an "entropy gap" pushing the system further away from the posited heat death equilibrium. [ 100 ]
Entropy equivalent of one bit of information, equal to k times ln(2) [1] ... One estimate of the theoretical maximum entropy of the universe [4] [5] See also
The entropy of the universe tends to a maximum. This statement is the best-known phrasing of the second law. Because of the looseness of its language, e.g. universe , as well as lack of specific conditions, e.g. open, closed, or isolated, many people take this simple statement to mean that the second law of thermodynamics applies virtually to ...