Post by meeno8 on Jan 28, 2023 12:12:49 GMT -6
A book I am reading now about thermodynamics and how it played a major role in current technologies.
One topic covered is information, which is governed by the 2 laws of thermodynamics, which birthed Albert Einstein's breakthrough equation of Energy = Mass times the speed of light squared. An example is given of writing your name in the sand on the beach. It will be washed away when a wave comes along. That information is governed by entropy, i.e. something in a configured (or unlikely statistically) pattern is lost to something more chaotic (or much more likely statistically). So, information in hard copy, such as books, can also be stored digitally as in any type of eBook (like Kindle, et al). One problem with the internet in general is all the heat it produces, the net effect as it increases the entropy of the universe being negative environmental impact to the climate. On the other hand, books printed on paper are much worse for the environment with their total carbon footprint.
So, there you have the death knell for paper being used for printing things like books. A better purpose is the box of tissues next to my desk here that I use to blow my nose. Also, consider the proliferation of white boards used in corporate America for meetings, or PowerPoint presentations, in lieu of handing out printouts at meetings in conference rooms, and the equivalent online tools for virtual meetings.
But don't throw out your hardcover book collections just yet, because they will only increase in value as they become scarcer rarities in the decades to come.
One topic covered is information, which is governed by the 2 laws of thermodynamics, which birthed Albert Einstein's breakthrough equation of Energy = Mass times the speed of light squared. An example is given of writing your name in the sand on the beach. It will be washed away when a wave comes along. That information is governed by entropy, i.e. something in a configured (or unlikely statistically) pattern is lost to something more chaotic (or much more likely statistically). So, information in hard copy, such as books, can also be stored digitally as in any type of eBook (like Kindle, et al). One problem with the internet in general is all the heat it produces, the net effect as it increases the entropy of the universe being negative environmental impact to the climate. On the other hand, books printed on paper are much worse for the environment with their total carbon footprint.
So, there you have the death knell for paper being used for printing things like books. A better purpose is the box of tissues next to my desk here that I use to blow my nose. Also, consider the proliferation of white boards used in corporate America for meetings, or PowerPoint presentations, in lieu of handing out printouts at meetings in conference rooms, and the equivalent online tools for virtual meetings.
But don't throw out your hardcover book collections just yet, because they will only increase in value as they become scarcer rarities in the decades to come.