Time Brings Order to the Universe
SMRTR summary
A coffee cup can be arranged in countless atomic configurations, but only a tiny fraction will actually hold your morning brew without burning your fingers. This simple observation has led two scientists at the Carnegie Institution to propose something radical: a new law of nature that challenges our understanding of how the universe works.
Robert Hazen and Michael Wong argue that while the second law of thermodynamics tells us everything breaks down and becomes more disordered, it misses a crucial counterforce driving systems toward increasing complexity and order. Their "time's second arrow" suggests the universe naturally develops what they call "functional information" - configurations that actually work for specific purposes.
"We see all sorts of these kinds of phenomena," Hazen explains, noting how children grow and learn while science expands our knowledge. "That's just simply not what I experience in my life."
Their theory applies far beyond biology. Hazen traces "mineral evolution" from 25 simple minerals around early stars to over 1,000 complex varieties on rocky planets today. Even apple pie recipes evolve, Wong suggests, as countless ingredient combinations get refined through generations into the delicious versions we enjoy.
The proposal requires bold thinking about contextual information in physics, where function depends entirely on environment and purpose.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Nautilus.
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