Replying to LO24050 --
Dear Organlearners.
Greetings to all you fellow learners interested in the viewpoint of
"entropy production" as well as the artist's viewpoint.
Here is an interesting piece in the contribution of Jan Lelie
<janlelie@wxs.nl>. Let us see how it corresponds to the viepoint of
"entropy production".
>Tension is stored energy. Tension wants to be released.
>Release of tension energies may be put to use and lead
>to very workable solutions, very successful organizations.
The tension which he refers to is an "entropic force". It is the
difference between two values of an intensive quality rather
than an extensive quantity. In the series "To become or not
to become" the P(2) - P(1) of
[P(2) - P(1)] x /_\V > 0
is a tension or entropic force. Both an intensive quantity (like
pressure P) and an extensive quantity (like volume V) are
needed to make up a particular form of energy. Such an
intensive-extensive pair of quantities are known as a
complementary entropic pair of quanitites.
The tension is released by means of a flow. In a SIMPLE system situation
the release of a tension (which concerns an intensive quantity) is
affected by the flow of its complementary extensive quantity making up the
particular form of energy. For example the pressure tension such as P(2) -
P(1) is affected by the flow of volume as its complementary quanitity,
namely /_\V.
In a COMPLEX system the Onsager cross induction (reciprocal)
relationships take over. For example, a pressure difference P(2) - P(1)
can induce the electrical form of energy to become active. This happens in
what is technically known as a piezzo (electrical) crystal. Tiny
microphones make use of them. The pressure difference induces a difference
E(2) - E(1) in electrical potential which may the cause the flow /_\Q of
electrical charge. This flow of charge the get amplified by an electronic
circuit.
When Jan writes that tension wants to be released, it means that an order
relationship ">" of becoming holds like in
[P(2) - P(1)] x /_\V > 0
But when he writes furthermore that
>Energy always follows, flows along the path of the least work
>(also know as path of the least resistance, but i resist that word)
it means that for any first order (the /_\ occurs once) expression
like
[P(2) - P(1)] x /_\V > 0
or simply
PAIR > 0
its change (a second order expression because the /_\ occurs twice)
has to conform to
/_\ [[P(2) - P(1)] x /_\V] < 0
or simply
/_\PAIR < 0
>Tension can be put to use through actions. Actions are
>in the here and now. However, sometimes, when not enough
>time is allowed for the causes of the tensions or for the
>reduction of tensions, tensions do not become "resolved".
>People, a process, an organization stays "tense". This
>tension is again put into action, as action seems to be very
>concrete.
What Jan writes is that tension can cause changes. These changes have to
follow a rhythm which swings between low entropy production (near
equilibrium where digestions happen) and high entropy production (at the
edge of chaos where bifurcations happen.) This rhythm is vital for the
evolution of the system to higher orders and hence greater complexity. A
rule of thumb is that the more complex an emergence, the more time it
needs to emerge and to become subsequently mature.
Should the emergence or subsequent digestive growth be
curtailed as a result of an arbitrary time restriction, one or more
of the seven essentialities have to be impaired. Thus the system
apparently gets "frozen" with the remainder of its tensions fixed.
However, since this the "freezing" is an illusion, the system will
actually follow just any other pathway because
/_\ S (universe) > 0
and
/_\ [/_\ S(universe)] < 0
still holds. Furthermore, since we now definitely know that one
or more essentialities have been impaired so as to adhere to the
time constraint, this subsequent pathway will lead to destructive
rather than constructive creativity in the system. Consequently
evolution becames more and more an illusion than an actual
practice.
Jan concludes with:
>Prioritization, prioritizing, seems to me the best description
>of our problems with emotions: because we tend to ignore
>feelings, by-pass them, reduce the ideas, suppress emotions,
>because we do this, we seem to gain some time. Gaining
>time is important in life threatening situations.
>
>That may be why we have both mechanisms: feelings and the
>tools to suppress them. Faster prioritization by not allowing our
>selves to be completely "here" enables survival. But it leads to
>a society that becomes "time pressured".
(snip)
If we do not understand why we need to gain time, there is no reason at
all to gain such time. We need to have time to PREPARE ourselves
sufficiently for life threatening situations. These preparations are the
critical factor for sustaining life in deadly situations. These
preparations are nothing but the evolution towards higher orders and thus
greater complexity -- to become aware of the depth of our creativity.
Knowledge of "entropy production" can be a blessing to those who know the
full complexity of its ramifications. But those who are ignorant to it,
will become victims of its disastrous effects when they make decisions
ignorant of the higher order qualities to carry them through. They may be
ignorant that these higher order quailities emerge as a result of entropy
production. This will not cause their demise. But they cannot excuse their
ignorance of the higher order qualities themselves. Such excuses will
never save them from disasters.
>Perhaps that is also a gift to performing artists: they do not
>seem to mind to perform in real time, live before an real audience
>(listeners). Perhaps the ability to enjoy living, joi d'vivre, has to
>do with driving out fear. Hmm,
Perhaps our greatest fear is the fear instilled by our system of education
that we cannot learn. Perhaps the perfoming artists are the majority among
those who escape the ill effects of the system. Anyway, who can learn at
all if rote learning is the main form of learning presented by the system
;-)
>Peace of mind,
Peace to you too Jan. I intend to address the issue of peace soon in the
topic "To become or not to become".
With care and best wishes
--At de Lange <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za> Snailmail: A M de Lange Gold Fields Computer Centre Faculty of Science - University of Pretoria Pretoria 0001 - Rep of South Africa
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