03/17/2008: "Life: What’s the Big Deal?"

At first, at least for our universe, there was the Big Bang. The universe materialized and expanded and manifested apparent order in the form of stars and galaxies and superclusters and dark matter and black holes and so on. But it also began to run down. This running-down behavior is called entropy and ultimate entropy is believed to be the end state of our universe. However, not too long after the Big Bang the Little Bang occurred. This Little Bang, fortunately for us, was characterized by the emergence of life. And according to luminaries such as Albert Szent-Györgyi life began, against all odds, to run up.

Now this does not mean that life forms, at least in the material world, don’t eventually die and ultimately exhibit entropy. But it does mean that life in almost all of its forms continues to escape to higher and higher orders of existence and processing. This anti-entropy, or syntropy, is a hallmark of life. And, so far, it appears to be the biggest-damned deal the universe has to offer. So even more than the Big Bang, one could argue, life is the big deal. Life and its perpetuity is why we are here. Whether we’re talking about physical or metaphysical, material or spiritual, solid or ephemeral, life in all of its manifestations seem to be the primary purpose of the universe.

So here’s the paradox. We have, seemingly, a universe with a strong anthropic principle guiding it but we also have a universe that is ultimately running down. And while, in the short run, entropy and syntropy often work together to support life, entropy will eventually annihilate life unless life finds a way to overcome entropy. And to add to the confusion we, as supposedly the highest manifestations of life on our planet, seem all too often to pursue our own entropic demise. In far too many instances we hoard value and externalize cost, wage war, allow and often promote poverty, despoil and diminish our natural resources, retard progress for our own self-interest, and generally act as if we personally can escape entropy and live well even if everyone and everything else suffers and dies.

However, we cannot, and will not, escape entropy unless we are actively pursuing its opposite. Why? Because entropy is the default mode. All we have to do to promote entropy is to do nothing. If we wish to promote life and to enhance its quality we must be pursuing syntropy. But syntropy, the product of life’s Little Bang, requires thoughtful action. It is not a passive activity and it is not the purview of the empty or selfish mind.

Therefore, towards the effective pursuit of syntropy, with all due commitment and integrity, we dedicate this endeavor of which you may choose to become a part – to wisely and thoughtfully and earnestly perpetrate life in all of its best manifestations, and to enhance humanity’s quality of life and ability to contribute to the common good.