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Physics and immortality
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
Would physical immortality require infinite energy?
It seems that it would if the following two assumptions are true:
1. Life requires useful energy (i.e. thermodynamic free energy).
2. The universe has an irreversible tendency toward thermodynamic equilibrium (i.e. the total amount of useful energy inevitably declines over time).
So unless the energy of the universe is infinite (never reaching total thermodynamic equilibrium), life will inevitably die out due to lack of useful energy. |
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| Omega_M |
| you need to explain consciousness in physical terms and connect it to the physical forces before you can answer questions about immortality. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
you need to explain consciousness in physical terms and connect it to the physical forces before you can answer questions about immortality. |
Can't there be some sort of unconscious life? That would make consciousness irrelevant :) |
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| Gen3r4l1ty |
Not nearly high enough to be joining this thread yet.:conf:
The question itself though, is unanswerable due to our lack of knowledge regarding the boundaries of the universe. |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
you need to explain consciousness in physical terms and connect it to the physical forces before you can answer questions about immortality. |
I don't think so. The assumptions I listed seem to apply to anything with a body.
But maybe you want to say that consciousness can exist without any physical substrate whatsoever. My reply would be: evidence? |
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| Gen3r4l1ty |
| quote: | Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
I don't think so. The assumptions I listed seem to apply to anything with a body.
Maybe you want to say that consciousness can exist without any physical substrate whatsoever. My reply would be: evidence? |
I thought the original question was about physical immortality and not consciencious (spiritual?) immortality. Consciousness without any physical existance (organic or mechanical) is really bordering more on religious debate, no? |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
| quote: | Originally posted by Gen3r4l1ty
I thought the original question was about physical immortality and not consciencious (spiritual?) immortality. |
It is, and I would like the thread to focus mostly on that. |
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| nchs09 |
| quote: | Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
I don't think so. The assumptions I listed seem to apply to anything with a body.
But maybe you want to say that consciousness can exist without any physical substrate whatsoever. My reply would be: evidence? |
asking for evidence in a thread like this is..... well, useless. |
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| Lira |
But, MrJive, if you grant the existence of a subtantial dualism (matter and spirit), what keeps spiritual substance from following different rules? Newtonian physics needn't apply in this case.
Edit: Hey, why isn't Arthur wearing a santa hat? He's cranky, but it's still Christmas :D |
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| eRRaTiK |
| can energy be destroyed? |
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| Project-K |
UNNNNLIIMITTEDD POOOWWWEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!
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