# Man kinds purpose

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 17, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808 "2020-11-17T16:27:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808/41 "2020-11-20T18:24:35Z")

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> [@glee](#):
>
> I believe that entropy is increasing in our observations, which effectively means things are becoming more chaotic.  
> Stars burn out or explode.  
> Orbits decay and comets smash into things…

Ice cream melts.  
My desk gets messier.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808/42 "2020-11-20T18:35:44Z")

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> [@Crane](#):
>
> I realize my view is naive, but I observe a universe that is constantly self organizing.

You’re only looking at the interesting stuff. The boring stuff is the stuff of entropy.

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**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808/43 "2020-11-20T18:38:44Z")

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> [@glee](#):
>
> I believe that entropy is increasing in our observations, which effectively means things are becoming more chaotic.

Chaos is not entropy. Chaos is part of the process of going from low entropy to higher.

When you put cream into your coffee, there’s a bunch of chaos as it mixes in. Once it is fully mixed, that’s when the entropy is at a maximum.

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**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808/44 "2020-11-20T19:05:57Z")

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> [@Crane](#):
>
> I realize my view is naive, but I observe a universe that is constantly self organizing. Rocks orbit and collide and form round bodies that develop atmospheric and geothermal systems. The planets align in a common plane and all bodies rest at an angle of repose.

Some of the matter in the universe does all of that. Most doesn’t. And what does, won’t stay that way forever.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-kinds-purpose/925808/45 "2020-11-20T19:14:39Z")

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> [@Crane](#):
>
> all bodies rest at an angle of repose.

The angle of repose is the position in which there is less entropy. Higher piles, where gravity hasn’t had a chance to move rocks lower, have higher entropy. Those rocks are less organized than before they fell off the cliffs above.

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