Re: DEFINITIONS: Extropy/Entropy?
Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Sun, 29 Dec 1996 18:36:39 -0500
Michael Lorrey wrote:
>
> Romana Machado wrote:
> >
> > >The definition of "extropy" has evolved over time. If there's to be a
> > >discussion of it, it would be good to begin with the most current version,
> > >as printed in Extropy #17.
> >
> > Sounds like a good plan to me. I hope that the most current definition will
> > soon be more widely published and make its way to the web sites that
> > concern it, and that Max More and Tom Morrow are credited as its
> > originators forevermore.
> >
> > >
> > >The current definition is" "Extropy -- the extent of a person's or a
> > >culture's intelligence, information, vitality, diversity, opportunity, and
> > >[personal] growth." "Personal" might be removed since it fits with person
> > >but not very well with culture.
> > >
> >
> THere was some debate on the definition of entropy, as it gets quite
> loosely flung around these parts. Here's some reference from a paper by
> Alex Frolov:
>
> Clausius defined Entropy as "part of energy that can not be transformed
> into work and is dispersing in heat", (this statement of Clausius is
> translated from Russian book of 1916). W. Thomson used term 'entropy' in
> next text: "The law of dissipation of energy (entropy) teaches us that
> World is an organism developing in strictly appointed direction..."
>
> So from this, I would take that in a human sense, anything wasteful
> could be defined as entropic. Now, minimizing entropy would be extropic
> as such activity would be seeking to maximize the utility of a given
> resource. However, if expanding the resource base makes a current level
> of entropy minimization non cost effective (and thus wasteful or
> entropic itself) can extropy be entropic at times?
> --
Additionally, I have seen the word "syntropy" used as that which reduces
entropy, or anti-entropy.
I think what we need to do is plot out a graphical map of this sort of
memespace. I'll get back to you with what I've got in mind.....
--
TANSTAAFL!!!
Michael Lorrey
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