Aging, Death, and Entropy
by Owen Borville
May 26, 2019, updated July 29, 2024
Biology
All living things age, deteriorate, and eventually die. How does evolution and mainstream science explain this? If evolution causes living things to improve and become more complex and live longer periods, why is this not observed in living things today? Living things certainly do not live longer today than in the past. In fact, there is strong evidence that living things lived much longer periods in the ancient past than today. How does evolution explain this? The fossil record gives many examples of animal species living long lives and producing large sizes. For example, many ancient reptiles grew to very large sizes, much larger than today as recorded in the fossil record. Many of these reptile species have since become extinct and those that are living today do not live as long as their ancestors. This reduction in life spans does not support theories of macroevolution where living things gradually evolve into superior bodies that live longer life spans. Ancient fossilized turtles have been found to extend 15 feet in length, while the largest crocodile was found to extend over 30 feet in length. The longest dinosaur fossil was recorded at over 130 feet in length. Many factors can be attributed to the reduction in live spans, including changing environmental conditions.
Creationists believe that there was a time on Earth when living things lived much longer life spans. About 5,000 years ago, environmental conditions allowed these longer life spans but a catastrophic event known as the Genesis Flood completely changed the environmental characteristics of the Earth. After this Flood, living things had much shorter life spans. Even humans once had a much longer life span that was greatly reduced after the Flood. The Book of Genesis (chapters 5-6) records that men could live up to a maximum of nearly 1,000 years of age before the Flood and afterward this maximum life span was quickly reduced to less than 120, as is observed today. The Book of Genesis is clear that this reduction in lifespan was a result of the disobedience of man and that much more pleasant life of the past was taken away by God as a result of this disobedience. The result was a life that was not as pleasant as before the Flood or before the Judgement of God.
We cannot confirm the ancient life spans of humans with modern science and we only have historical and scriptural records that record these long life spans. However, even with the advances in technology and in medicine, the human lifespan has not increased within the last 5,000 years since the Flood. How can one support macro-evolution of living things if the lifespans of humans and other living things have not increased from the past and in most cases has greatly decreased? The common theme of the Creation Model is one of deterioration of living conditions on Earth, which is in stark contrast to the concepts of macro-evolution, and is a consequence of the disobedience of man. In the beginning, man was created by God with all of the other living things during the creation week 6,000 years ago. Man and living things were originally created "very good" to live forever, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, however because of the disobedience of man, a curse was installed on the Earth and all living things have a limited life span as a result.
Aging is related to entropy. Entropy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics and it represents the degree of disorder or randomness in a system. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time. Age-related changes occur in living organisms due to a combination of genetic factors and random events. These changes can be thought of as an increase in entropy within the body. Purposeful genetic programs drive biological processes from birth to reproductive maturity.
However, once an organism reaches reproductive maturity, the aging process emerges. There are two main theories: Genetic Program: Some believe that aging is a continuation of the genetic program, with specific genes influencing the process. Accumulation of Random Damage: Others propose that aging results from the accumulation of random, irreparable losses in molecular fidelity. This accumulation leads to gradual deterioration and aging.
Death is the ultimate manifestation of entropy. As living systems age, they become more disordered, and their molecular stability weakens. The weakest link in cells—often due to accumulated damage—increases vulnerability to leading causes of death, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. Understanding how age-related changes occur could provide insights into the etiology of these leading causes of death.
Quantifying entropy in human aging: Researchers have quantified the entropy generated over a human lifespan (from birth to natural death). On average, this entropy amounts to 11,404 kJ/ºK per kg of body mass. Interestingly, the rate of entropy generation is three times higher in infants compared to the elderly.
In summary, aging involves a delicate balance between genetic programs and the accumulation of random damage, both of which contribute to increased entropy. Ultimately, death represents the culmination of this entropic process.
journals.plos.org
mdpi.com
physics.stackexchange.com
phys.org
by Owen Borville
May 26, 2019, updated July 29, 2024
Biology
All living things age, deteriorate, and eventually die. How does evolution and mainstream science explain this? If evolution causes living things to improve and become more complex and live longer periods, why is this not observed in living things today? Living things certainly do not live longer today than in the past. In fact, there is strong evidence that living things lived much longer periods in the ancient past than today. How does evolution explain this? The fossil record gives many examples of animal species living long lives and producing large sizes. For example, many ancient reptiles grew to very large sizes, much larger than today as recorded in the fossil record. Many of these reptile species have since become extinct and those that are living today do not live as long as their ancestors. This reduction in life spans does not support theories of macroevolution where living things gradually evolve into superior bodies that live longer life spans. Ancient fossilized turtles have been found to extend 15 feet in length, while the largest crocodile was found to extend over 30 feet in length. The longest dinosaur fossil was recorded at over 130 feet in length. Many factors can be attributed to the reduction in live spans, including changing environmental conditions.
Creationists believe that there was a time on Earth when living things lived much longer life spans. About 5,000 years ago, environmental conditions allowed these longer life spans but a catastrophic event known as the Genesis Flood completely changed the environmental characteristics of the Earth. After this Flood, living things had much shorter life spans. Even humans once had a much longer life span that was greatly reduced after the Flood. The Book of Genesis (chapters 5-6) records that men could live up to a maximum of nearly 1,000 years of age before the Flood and afterward this maximum life span was quickly reduced to less than 120, as is observed today. The Book of Genesis is clear that this reduction in lifespan was a result of the disobedience of man and that much more pleasant life of the past was taken away by God as a result of this disobedience. The result was a life that was not as pleasant as before the Flood or before the Judgement of God.
We cannot confirm the ancient life spans of humans with modern science and we only have historical and scriptural records that record these long life spans. However, even with the advances in technology and in medicine, the human lifespan has not increased within the last 5,000 years since the Flood. How can one support macro-evolution of living things if the lifespans of humans and other living things have not increased from the past and in most cases has greatly decreased? The common theme of the Creation Model is one of deterioration of living conditions on Earth, which is in stark contrast to the concepts of macro-evolution, and is a consequence of the disobedience of man. In the beginning, man was created by God with all of the other living things during the creation week 6,000 years ago. Man and living things were originally created "very good" to live forever, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, however because of the disobedience of man, a curse was installed on the Earth and all living things have a limited life span as a result.
Aging is related to entropy. Entropy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics and it represents the degree of disorder or randomness in a system. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time. Age-related changes occur in living organisms due to a combination of genetic factors and random events. These changes can be thought of as an increase in entropy within the body. Purposeful genetic programs drive biological processes from birth to reproductive maturity.
However, once an organism reaches reproductive maturity, the aging process emerges. There are two main theories: Genetic Program: Some believe that aging is a continuation of the genetic program, with specific genes influencing the process. Accumulation of Random Damage: Others propose that aging results from the accumulation of random, irreparable losses in molecular fidelity. This accumulation leads to gradual deterioration and aging.
Death is the ultimate manifestation of entropy. As living systems age, they become more disordered, and their molecular stability weakens. The weakest link in cells—often due to accumulated damage—increases vulnerability to leading causes of death, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. Understanding how age-related changes occur could provide insights into the etiology of these leading causes of death.
Quantifying entropy in human aging: Researchers have quantified the entropy generated over a human lifespan (from birth to natural death). On average, this entropy amounts to 11,404 kJ/ºK per kg of body mass. Interestingly, the rate of entropy generation is three times higher in infants compared to the elderly.
In summary, aging involves a delicate balance between genetic programs and the accumulation of random damage, both of which contribute to increased entropy. Ultimately, death represents the culmination of this entropic process.
journals.plos.org
mdpi.com
physics.stackexchange.com
phys.org