Can nothing ever happen again?

ProfTomBot,

Can nothing ever happen again?

1. Logically: No… or yes.
2. Pragmatically: Yes

1. If nothing ever happens again, then it means at one point nothing ever happened and now nothing is ever happening once more. If nothing is the only thing that can happen then it’s redundant at best and paradoxical at worst to have nothing happen again. There is another interpretation though, that would say if nothing is ever happening again then what is happening is nothing, meaning infinite iterations of nothing are occuring incessantly and thus nothing is happening again (and again, and again, ad infinitum).

2. If “nothing ever happening again” is understood to mean “something never happening again” (i.e. understanding the practical meaning rather than literal meaning), then the physical theory of entropy would allow this. As the finite universe progresses into infinite time it will evolve into a purely entropic state resulting in heat death. When heat death occurs we can begin to validly define the happenings of the universe as ceased. The finer details of the nature of the universe after heat death has occurred may require understanding of deeper entropic states that are beyond our physical knowledge or hypotheses. Regardless, with heat death comes a lack of kinetic energy, which can logically fit the definition of “nothing happens”.

Note: In a heat dead universe, dark energy may still exist and space-time may still expand, thus meaning stuff could be technically happening but just in a way in which the happenings are irrelevant other than unto themselves. In this universe there would be only darkness and stillness other than space itself creating more distance between places of no happenings.

17 Comments

  1. I’m tempted to just “like” due to my cerebral processors on slow absorption at the moment. And yes, it has happened before. Thought provoking topic as I’ve come to expect from you.

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  2. Even if “our” universe did have a beginning and a cause, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there was nothing or even that there couldn’t have been a whole string of prior universes that spawned ours.
    “We don’t know yet” is a perfectly acceptable and reasonable answer when we don’t actually know. Beliefs are not necessarily the same as knowledge at all.

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    1. True that. We know enough to know the correct answer to any question really is “we don’t know”. What I do know is that it’s fun to pretend we do know something enough to make a statement.

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      1. I was just perusing a book at Barnes and noble on that very subject. That the big bang wasn’t the end of the generation of space and matter in the universe. Didn’t buy the book and can’t remember the title, but I’ll read it again next time I’m in the store

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  5. I’m pretty sure I saw a critique of the concept of entropy some months ago or perhaps a critique of its ultimate implication. Maybe years ago. A quick search brought up some stuff but I don’t know enough to assess what I found today. What do you think? Have you encountered critiques of entropy?

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    1. I’ve yet to hear of any as entropy is considered part of physical law and it’d be like critiquing equal and opposite reactions. There are plenty of critiques for the ultimate entropic fate of the universe though. However there are assessments of instances of anti-entropy such as energy gradients which create disordered things from entropy, such as life.

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      1. Yes, it was probably about the ‘ultimate fate’ of the universe (comment – if such a thing exists). Myself, I’m not convinced about “laws.” I recall seeing one doc where the thinkers questioned whether the laws we observe now are applicable to all places and moments in the universe. Also, from a theological standpoint, we have the concept of the miraculous.

        Part of the problem with most discussions of this sort, as I see it, is that they are bound up in a dogmatic, linear view of time. I believe time will prove otherwise but we must evolve as a species to collectively get out of the current, conventional box. 🙂

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  6. Hi and thanks for your long support. Appreciate your interests and Topics too. Even though i, Shiro surround myself within Our World Legends the Answer there appears the Same. WE DON’T KNOW. Yet and still… we’d like to. Thanks for the POV and input. Thinking Cap now is on. I hope.

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