Under these apparent conditions, the universe very much begins to resemble a classical thermodynamic system. Since we can safely assume the laws of thermodynamics to be inviolable, insomuch as we’ve never witnessed an exception, the only possibility remaining is that life externalizes more entropy in the universe than it takes away via its own thorough self-organization. This notion has been called the law of maximal entropy production by Rod Swenson, although the idea has been stumbled upon by many others under various guises.



However, it seems that as our universe naturally rushes toward maximal entropy as the second law would suggest, it hits a speed limit. At some point the production of chaos can only unfold so fast through basic chaotic dissipation of elements. Here,

in order to break through the rate-limiting entropy barrier and churn the environment more efficiently, the universe begins to retain chance structures which actually facilitate and hence promote chaos.

We living beings are the product of this evolution. MIT’s Jeremy England made headlines by testing this notion in simulations, though the logic seemed solid without such a demonstration.