What Matter Makes Up Our Known Universe? | Jim Al-Khalili | Spark

This paragraph discusses the immense power that humans have acquired to transform the planet, as exemplified by the visibility of human-made structures at night. It delves into the importance of energy in our existence, from powering our homes and transport to sustaining life itself. The paragraph also introduces the scientific laws that link everything in the universe, highlighting the intriguing story of our understanding of energy, its degradation, and its role in creating everything around us.

The paragraph explores the early attempts to understand energy, focusing on Gottfried Leibniz, a diplomat, scientist, and philosopher. Leibniz's belief that the world is a machine designed by a powerful entity led him to investigate the concept of 'Living Force', a substance exchanged during collisions. His ideas on the conservation of this force and its potential to be harnessed for power laid the groundwork for future advancements in energy extraction and utilization.

This section discusses the historical methods of energy extraction, from simple tasks like picking fruit to complex machines that process vast amounts of energy. It highlights the revolutionary development of steam engines in the 19th century, which replaced animal muscle with steam power, leading to unprecedented progress and innovation. The steam engine is portrayed as a key step in civilization, transforming human society and revealing truths about the nature of work and energy.

The paragraph describes the awe-inspiring industrial architecture of the Crossness sewage works, housing massive Victorian steam engines. Despite their immense power and contribution to British prosperity, there was still confusion about the fundamental workings of these engines. The narrative touches on the quest to understand the efficiency and potential of steam power, hinting at the deeper cosmic principles they represented.

This section tells the story of Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, a French scientist and soldier who, driven by the technological superiority of his country's enemies, sought to understand the workings of steam engines. Carnot's seminal work, 'Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire', laid the foundation for thermodynamics by explaining the fundamental operation of heat engines. His insights into the flow of heat and the increase in efficiency with temperature difference guided engineers for centuries.

The paragraph explains the first and second laws of thermodynamics, revealing the principles that govern the transformation and flow of energy. The first law introduces the concept that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another, implying a fixed total energy in the universe. The second law, introduced by Rudolf Clausius, states that heat always moves from hot to cold bodies and that energy dispersion is an irreversible process leading to increasing entropy.

This section discusses how the principles of thermodynamics, initially developed to explain the workings of heat engines, were found to be applicable on a grander scale, influencing our understanding of the universe. The laws of thermodynamics were seen to govern not just machines, but the fate of all things that emit heat, leading to the realization that the universe is engaged in a process of spreading out and increasing entropy.

The paragraph introduces Ludwig Boltzmann, who provided a deep understanding of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. Boltzmann's work on atomic theory suggested that entropy is a measure of disorder, explaining why energy disperses and systems move from order to disorder. Despite facing hostility and criticism, Boltzmann's theories would eventually become widely accepted, forming the basis of our current scientific understanding of the atomic and subatomic world.

This section explores the cosmic implications of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. It discusses how the tendency of the universe to move from order to disorder is unavoidable and is reflected in everything from everyday objects to the lifecycle of the universe itself. The concept of maximum entropy is introduced, suggesting an ultimate end point for the universe. However, it also highlights how this disorder gives rise to complexity and structure, enabling the existence of life and human achievements.

The paragraph illustrates how humans have harnessed the natural flow of energy from order to disorder to create new order and structure. It uses the example of a car engine, which transforms ordered energy into a more disordered state but harnesses a portion of this energy to perform useful work. The concept is extended to evolution and the development of technologies, cities, and societies, all of which rely on breaking down concentrated energy to maintain and improve our environment.

This section discusses the potential of fusion energy as the ultimate form of concentrated energy. It describes the efforts at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy to recreate a star on Earth using a Tokamak machine, which fuses hydrogen atoms to release energy. The challenges of sustaining the fusion reaction and harnessing the energy are highlighted, along with the transformative potential of fusion power if successfully realized.

The paragraph introduces the concept of information as a fundamental part of our universe, highlighting its power when manipulated. It discusses the evolution of writing as a technology for transmitting and storing information, allowing ideas to endure through time. The narrative sets the stage for exploring the immense power released from understanding and utilizing symbols, codes, and the digital revolution in transforming our comprehension of the universe.