COVID-19: An Entropic Collapse

Author : Ponti
Date : 04/18/20

My collegiate education is in chemical engineering, and really, in any kind of engineering discipline one tends to spend a lot of time thinking about one specific concept: entropy. Simply put, entropy is a physical phenomenon that attempts to explain why things tend to fall into disorder. I italicize the word “things” because it is a word that is usually seen with dismay, as it provides little to no clarity or preciseness in spoken or written communication. In this case however, entropy quite literally has an effect on everything in the universe. Entropy explains the reason why if one were to leave a glass of water outside in an open environment, the water will eventually evaporate given the temperature is above 0 C (32 F). One would naturally assume the underlying reason for the missing water to be evaporation, which is in a way correct. However, the reason why evaporation even occurred is because of entropy. The molecules of water in the glass while in liquid form are free to move about in any space vector, but they are confined by the surface tension of the water and the container they’re in. Eventually, due to entropy, the molecules of water are eventually free to the constraints of the surface tension and glass container. Even then however, the gas molecules are limited by the environment and external factors. For example, given the right environment, gas molecules cannot penetrate a sealed, vacuum tight container. One may think this is the end then, right? There is no way the molecules can be in a state more chaotic than the one they’re in trapped inside the vacuum sealed container. Wrong. Even then, the gas molecules find a way to escape the vacuum tight container, permeating through the walls of the container. This is called plasma! My point here is that everything in the known universe is prone to collapse at some point.

This is even true for humans, the moment the first human arrived on Earth, they started to do things which eventually caused disorder or entropy in the being’s environment. Even in our daily lives, we are consumed by entropy, as we are constantly consuming something, causing the jagged bits of disarray around us. Slowly but surely, we get used to this chaotic nature and it becomes part of our routine. Now let me explain just how ironic that sentence is. A routine is, by definition, something you establish to avoid unexpected situations, thus keeping entropy at bay (relatively). The fact that intentionally letting small bits of disorder into our lives gives us comfort just proves that entropy is omnipresent. Usually we don’t have to worry about losing entropy in our day-to-day lives. Entropy just happens, and it can’t really be controlled no matter how hard one may try. But what happens, per se, in the case of a pandemic? Suddenly, everything stops. For most humans, we are under strict stay-at-home orders that confine us in a closed environment. Of course, for those that are on the front lines battling COVID-19 and those that have lost jobs and loved ones as a result of this, there are magnitudes of entropy in their lives. But for the average civilian, we are probably feeling at least a little lost or confused. The one thing that’s given us guaranteed comfort in our lives, entropy, has now been taken from us.

We have inexplicably become the water molecule trapped in the glass container, unable to break through the surface. However, the time it takes for a water molecule to traverse every cubic centimeter of water inside the container is enormous. The reason I bring this up is because just like the water molecule, we don’t have to be stuck exploring the same corner of the glass over and over again. There are n number of ways to create some disorder in your life, even while being stuck at home. Try out that recipe that seemed impossible to make, binge a show you might never have watched otherwise, finally pick up that book you’ve been meaning to finish for the past 2 years, reconnect with old family and friends, maybe even try writing something (bah-dum-tsss)! Of course, this is a historic and very dark age in modern history. We will most likely look back at this period of time with grief and remorse. However, I sincerely hope that some will take this time to disrupt their lives in unexpected ways and break through the surface.