Perpetual Motion and the Religion of Physics
Jul 20

Perpetual Motion and the Religion of Physics

Perpetual motion: We’re (I’m?) having a bit of a discussion on this post about perpetual motion. This prompted me to look up the concept on Wikipedia and confirm what I knew to be true: it’s impossible.

It is generally accepted that perpetual motion machines cannot exist. In particular, perpetual motion machines would violate either the first or second laws of thermodynamics. […]

Scientists and engineers accept the possibility that the current understanding of the laws of physics may be incomplete or incorrect; a perpetual motion device may not be impossible, but overwhelming evidence would be required to justify rewriting the laws of physics.

This whole thing has got me thinking about the religious aspects of physics. The basic debunking of perpetual motion — and the concept at the core of the laws of thermodynamics — is that the universe is slowly coming to a rest. The Big Bang was, well, big, and the whole shindig is settling down from there, using up all the energy that was banged forth.

This means that one day, the entire universe will have to — by definition — settle down completely. Energy is expended and not replaced, entropy is increased, and everything slowly rolls downhill. So, after all energy has been expended, the universe…will…stop.

Then what?

I didn’t care much for physical science, and in college I put off the requirement until my senior year when I took Astronomy 101 with a bunch of freshmen. I’ve never felt so small as when I walked out of that class everyday. It was the most religious class I ever took in college, and I went to a Lutheran college.

by Deane   July 20, 2005 12:26 AM   |
  tags: 
Physics

Comments

by Snard,   July 20, 2005 7:14 AM  

Isaac Asimov addressed this issue in his excellent short story "The Final Question". If you haven't read it, try to avoid Google-ing for more info, the ending will probably be spoiled.

by Trapper Markelz,   July 20, 2005 7:42 AM  

Maybe you would dig my post called "Thermodynamics in the shower" where I contemplate some of the same issues you raise in this post:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tjmweb/168047.html

Cheers!

by Noel,   July 20, 2005 9:25 AM  

Check out Genesis 1:1, Matthew 24:35 and Revelation 21:1.

by Deane,   July 20, 2005 10:02 AM  

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Revelation 21:1

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

by Anon,   July 20, 2005 2:20 PM  

Unless I'm remembering my facts incorrectly, the universe is, in fact, expanding at a more rapid pace today than it has in the past. It doesn't show signs of stopping the expansion and eventually collapsing in on itself (to be potentially followed by another big bang), at least not at this time.

However, I'm no astrophysicist, so someone else should correct me.

by .,   July 20, 2005 9:13 PM  

...............In our begining, WE created god!

by Unicron,   July 21, 2005 3:57 PM  

I love the movie "Event Horizon"

by Peter,   July 22, 2005 7:57 PM  

I couldn't post this earlier this morning because I couldn't remember the title and stuff, but Alan Moore wrote a great little apropos comic, a Wildstorm Spotlight (image) featuring Majestic. The topic is the so called heat-death of the Universe.

by Peter,   July 22, 2005 7:58 PM  

Actually looking into the comic I see the sub-title is quite appropriately "The Big Chill"

by ,   October 24, 2006 6:04 AM  

hmm from what i understand energy doesn't get created nor destroyed it simply transforms from one to the other.

Perpetual motion it self may not be possible, but whats to say we made a magnetic machine that isn't closed system but an open system that is actually tapping into the big magnetic field which is the earth. If nikola tesler were alive today i believe he would of proved free unlimited or free in out lifetime energy can be created.

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