Very basically life can be defined as the flow of energy from higher to lower density through specialized structures intended for that purpose. Both biological/cellular entities and technological/cellular entities qualify as life. The structure/organization of complex dissipative structures are determined by their effectiveness in releasing trapped energy to a lower energy or colder environments like space. All of biological and technological activity is nothing more in essence than the manifestation of otherwise unlikely arrangements of matter through which energy may be converted into a less concentrated form. Organism release trapped energy from the bodies of other organisms while technological, cellular entities or businesses release trapped energy from the non-living fossil fuel gradients in addition to hydrological dissipative structures like dams, nuclear power plants for the harder to tap but more potent energy of the atom’s nucleus, wind turbines to extract a fraction of other natural dissipative currents like wind and solar panels for harvesting radiation and the creation of energy gradients in batteries for later release (much like plants do with chlorophyll and glucose).
Humans sometimes get tired of going to work and making things happen but must continue to maintain the flow of energy through their bodies from ecological sources and through the corpus of their technological creation just to maintain its structure and functionality which doesn’t exist for any particular purpose other than to release energy from gradients and radiate heat to a cold sink. Interfaces with the cool environment are essential so that heat doesn’t build-up and destroy the various structures. Variations on a theme of dissipative structures, like the many unique humans, will actually compete to obtain the gradient energy to continue their existences and are more or less captive to the process and without free will. The organizations of atoms and molecules that are not very effective at releasing energy from gradients and reproducing themselves tend to go extinct as other more successful ones persist. Humans may laud success at releasing energy from gradients and proudly display their large families and very energy hungry dissipative homes, cars, jets and boats but in essence these people are only useful and unwitting tools in a thermodynamic phenomenon.
Have a nice day at “work” dissipating energy. Your cells, your body, your children, your employer, your nation, the universe is counting on you. When the gradient is gone and equilibrium is restored there will be no need for dissipative structures and you may rest in peace.
MEGACANCER 