The Beauty of Disorder: Brian Cox Explains Entropy

Physicist Brian Cox uses the example of a sand castle and a sand pile to explain the concept of entropy. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system.

Cox explains that a sand castle is an ordered structure because the sand grains are arranged in a specific pattern to form the castle. On the other hand, a sand pile is a disordered structure because the sand grains are randomly arranged.

As time passes, the sand castle will eventually crumble and become a sand pile, increasing its entropy. This is because the forces of nature, such as wind and erosion, cause the sand grains to become disordered over time. The increase in entropy is a natural process that occurs in all systems, and it is related to the second law of thermodynamics.

Therefore, the sand castle and sand pile example illustrates how entropy increases over time in a closed system, resulting in a decrease in order and an increase in disorder.

[linmonash]

I didn't realise - until today - that my Housework has been in a state of High Entropy! No matter how much you move stuff around - it Retains The Beauty of Disorder! Thank you Brian. I thought it was all about me. It's not! It's just the way the Universe is structured! Phew!

[taraten]

Never heard the word "Entropy" in my life but now I've heard it and understood what it is. Thank you

[RobCLynch]

Ive seen this episode and Cox also states that according to the laws of entropy, it is not impossible for the sand castle to be blown away in the wind and perfectly rebuilt in another place. But it would take a while.

[patrickevan]

Thank you Brotha' Brian🙏🏽...Great explanation and example!...I totally understand😀👍🏾
Peace & Blessings to you✨☺️

[Jerome_Powel]

Entropy is just statistics at the end: What we typically call "order", are states of matter with low probability and what we typically call "chaos" are states with higher probability. And of course systems of matter that are left to change randomly will most go towards that the more probable state: "chaos". Nonetheless, at least in theory also an unprobable state, with higher order might be realized at some point, it just super unlikely and will not exist too long.

[liz_]

That flag was a cherry on top of the explanation

[jamescollins]

Best explanation of entropy that I've heard

[christophergould]

Thanks Brian. I think I understood that.

[shami]

Also something with low entropy will naturally progress to a state of high entropy. Because that sand castle wants to become a pile over time. It’s just a more natural state.

[waperboy]

And hearing it like this, it might feel like there's some purpose behind it. But there's not - it's only the natural events of things.

[MilushevGeorgi]

Entropy is a tricky concept to convey. I held Marco’s warm hand, mine was cold, he is eight, he understood that our hands would exchange energy until equilibrium, further temperature increase is not possible without adding an external source. Then I showed him a lemon and a garlic, which were mostly made from the entropy of the sun, entropy is life, the universe will be out of entropy in a thousand years or so, fun fact.

[angrytedtalks]

I explained this to my teacher in the sandpit at kindergarten. She gave me a juice box an told me to sit in the corner with a pointy hat.

[schloops]

but there's just as many ways of ordering sand in a sand castle than in a simple pile so the amount of permutations is not how you can evaluate a level of entropy

[danmiller]

A book by Heinz Pagel called Perfect Symmetry claims the early universe of Chaos was perfect symmetry. At symmetry breaking after 300, 000 years the perfect symmetry of chaos was broken. Differences appeared. Asymmetry however is like we all exist. Our right and left hemispheres are assymetric.

[richard--s]

My intuitive way would be the other way round: High entropy for a highly ordered state and low entropy for a disordered pile of all things.

But well, it's defined the other way round: Many ways to change the arrangement and it still is what it is: Something in a high entropy state.

[felinefriend]

even with university physics…..ive never understood entropy. 2 min with cox n i understand

[yourstruely]

Nothing is the same if you can change it or if things change.
The trick is in the amount of energy needed to make little or big change.
And then there is the thing why.
With out a why it changes and does it need extra energy to change there is no entropy.
The big bang had no entrophy so why did it bang and created it. And how does the ultimate 0 entrophy change into lots of entrophy and again dillutes expands into 0 entrophy.
And then comes the why again.
Who or what defines order and disorder says. Before the big bang was that ultimate order or disorder or the beginning of ultimate disorder or the start of ultimate order.

[DjDmt]

So would the big bang be low entropy and were moving towards high entropy? Is that what time is?

[Boggin_]

Holy fuck I used to watch this getting dressed for school back in like 2010

[Paul-fbem]

So what you're really saying is we can lower entropy if we are able to harness some sort of energy?