A case for God within the laws of physics

This text is looking at the second law of thermodynamics and how entropy is a clear sign for the existence of a Creator.

A case for God: How entropy is the universe’s witness to an organising force

A collection of thoughts on the matter of entropy and its implications on the meaning of life in an atheistic science based world

Foreword

Scientists often explain their disbelief in God with the fact that science has the most plausible and logical answers to life’s fundamental questions: The creation of the universe, the formation of the earth, as well as the appearance and evolution of life. A definition of Science given by Cambridge Dictionary states that: “Science: (knowledge from) the careful study of the structure and behaviour of the physical world, especially by watching, measuring, and doing experiments, and the development of theories to describe the results of these activities”. It is thus of interest to investigate what answer a scientific approach, in the supposed absence of a Creator God, would yield to one of the most fundamental questions:

What is the meaning of life?

Can there be a meaning of life, without God, in a world solely guided by physical laws and natural forces? What better way to explore this question than the second law of thermodynamics, famously elevated to be the “supreme law of physics” by Sir Arthur Eddington who stated in 1928 that if a theory contradicts the Second Law, "there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation," and also Albert Einstein, who believed thermodynamics was the only physical theory of universal content that would never be overthrown. In the following discussion, following the second law of thermodynamics, and even more specifically entropy, I argue that atheistic science can indeed provide an answer to this question but also argue why entropy is the universe’s unfailing witness to the presence of a creator God.

Entropy, the statistical consequence of probability that will dissolve the whole universe

Entropy, not a law of physics, or a force, but only a statistical consequence of probability, a description of disorder in a system, has the power to dissolve atoms, stars and the universe. What is the meaning of entropy in the context of the meaning of life, and why is it the proof why a creator God must exist?

Even though the second law of thermodynamics and through it entropy governs the endless wonders and distant worlds in the universe, it holds at its core the most sobering realisation. Entropy is responsible for the ever ongoing passive drive of energy and matter to resist organisation and to strive towards a status of absolute homogeneity. Following entropy, ultimately, the whole infinite universe should become one homogeneous, dissipated soup of matter and energy. Once this homogeneous state is achieved, the second law of thermodynamics says, that it will never again reverse back to a more heterogenous, organised state. This absolute homogeneous state therefore describes the absolute and definitive end of all things. Even though this is difficult to imagine on the scale of the universe, we see evidence for it all around us, from the building blocks of life to the largest landmarks on earth; Mountains, unless actively supported by tectonic plates, erode, historical landmarks from only a few hundred years ago constantly have to be painstakingly restored as they would otherwise return to dust and radioactive decay transforms atoms with a high energy density slowly into lower energy daughter atoms/isotopes.

Entropy and life

According to this fundamental principle of the universe, concentration and organisation of matter and energy and thereby life itself should not exist as it stands in opposition to the innate fabric of the universe. Life is, therefore, by definition violating the second law of thermodynamics since life requires a reduction of entropy through the organisation of heterogenous states in order to create and maintain function. As a result, every cell of every living organism is constantly fighting to create, maintain or increase heterogeneity and is actively fighting entropy. In cells these heterogenic states like chemical concentration gradients or electric potential gradients have to exist in order to maintain basic functions like the metabolism, or signal transfers by nerve cells. Thinking about it, even what science considers to be consciousness and every single thought we have is only possible due to heterogenous states of chemicals and electric potentials. The creation of the molecules needed for life (abiogenesis) would only be possible through chemical gradients. Similarly, a new organism can only be formed through actively fine-tuned heterogenous processes like the precise gradients of developmental chemical molecules (morphogen gradients) that can define to the accuracy of a single cell which type of tissues are formed during the embryogenesis.

However, despite the fundamental drive of entropy to work against any form of organisation, we are surrounded by life and therefore by organisation. All of which is only possible through the existence and maintenance of heterogenous states of matter and energy. Life itself should not be possible in a universe which strives to reduce everything to its least organised state. How is it then possible that life exists? How is it possible that all of the incredibly unlikely steps that had to happen to create the building blocks of life, the first cell, complex organisms, up to the diverse life as we know it if not only mathematical probabilities but even the fundamental law of physics, entropy, worked against it?

The very sobering answer to this question is as simple as it is profane. From an atheistic, science based point of view, life is only the means to an end and the only purpose (if the word purpose can even be used in this context of a mindless universe) for any cell to even exist is to serve the master of the universe, the second law of thermodynamics (entropy). In fact, in this context, life only exists because it is incredibly effective at increasing entropy at a faster rate than natural processes alone would. Even though life is creating a momentary, localised reduction of entropy, the sum of this organised energy is lower than the needed sum of energy to uphold it over time. As a result, organised life is creating a net increase of entropy simply through its efforts to maintain organisation and heterogenous states. This net positive effect on entropy by life is increasing in relation to the complexity of life, since more complex life requires higher states of organisation and therefore more energy for its upkeep. Considering then the impact of intelligence, or even consciousness and its effect on entropy, it becomes evident that higher forms of life and ultimately humans become more and more effective at increasing entropy through the development of industry and technology. It therefore seems that the development of intelligence and consciousness is the simple and logical outcome of an entropy driven universe.

The meaning of life from an atheistic, scientific view

Taking all of the above into consideration the logical conclusion imposes itself that in an entropy driven universe, the appearance of life, its evolution and even the development of intelligence and consciousness is all only following the second law of thermodynamics. Therefore, the conclusion for an atheistic science believing society to the questions of the meaning of life comes done to a single, vain answer: To increase entropy.

Why a Creator God solves this problem

As outlined above, the mere existence of heterogeneous states, the existence of stars, planets and life is all violating the second law of thermodynamics. What random process would be able to organise matter and energy against mathematical probability and the laws of physics. Following the analysis of Sir Arthur Eddington and Albert Einstein, there cannot be any naturalistic process because the Second Law of Thermodynamics cannot be contradicted.

This then leaves only one conclusion: The universe that we see around us, any heterogenous state, life itself could only have come to be through the almighty hand of a Creator God that shaped the universe through His Word and that the Second Law of Thermodynamics started to work on a highly organised, heterogeneous creation, producing the effects that we observe today.

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